Chaos on Earth: A Sonic X Rewrite
by Stardown
Summary: In this lovingly recrafted post-Forces rewrite of Sonic X, an unprecedentedly phenomenal Chaos Control event sends Sonic and his friends to a whole new world. Together with their new human friend Chris Thorndyke, will they manage to stop Eggman from creating his Eggman Empire? Mix of first- and third-person; AU; very long chapters.
1. Gotta Go Fast

_Enter the Supersonic Hedgehog! His Journey to Another Universe_

 **Note (2/15/20): In a few months, this chapter will be updated to reflect my current writing style, as well as fix some errors.**

 **A/N:** Thank you for choosing to read Chaos on Earth: A Sonic X Rewrite. I understand that, while many people enjoyed watching Sonic X, some people were (and still are) critical of the anime. I personally enjoyed the anime, but I too agree that there should be changes. And this fanfic will attempt to rewrite it, doing everything right this time around.

The Japanese version of Sonic X, which is the original version, is arguably better than the English dub in many ways. I will try to combine aspects of both versions of the anime, and, in the case of the Chaos and Shadow sagas, Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2.

Before you proceed to read the story, you should be aware of some of the major changes I will make in comparison to the original anime:

 **#1:** Chris Thorndyke's personality will be gutted and completely changed. I believe Chris alone is the reason many people are critical of Sonic X, as he can sound whiny at times. In the rewrite, Chris will probably be wary of Sonic and his friends at first, and then warm up to them as time goes by. His role, however, will remain the same.

 **#2:** There will be more events per episode. I feel at liberty to tweak some scenes (for the better), as well as add new ones.

 **#3:** The rewrite will focus primarily on Chris and Sonic. As the chapters will be longer than the episodes, I will have a lot more room to work with these two characters. You won't have to worry about Chris, because I'll make sure his personality doesn't slip.

 **#4:** There will be thirteen episodes in a season rather than twenty-six. This is due to the increase in length compared to the original anime (see #2). As a result, the rewrite for "Defective Detectives", which has the Season 3 finale slot in this new change, will be reworked into the Shadow Saga. Additonally, the Season 1 finale in the Metarex saga slot ("Mission: Match-Up") will be completely rewritten to feel like a proper season finale.

 **#5:** Episodes after "A Wild Win" will be rewritten. The Homebound saga will be scrapped and replaced with an all-new saga. The Metarex Saga will be rewritten if I get enough support.

 **#6:** A primary OC will be introduced into the story. He/she will not appear as much as Chris, but will still occasionally play an important role. Along the lines of OCs, I will not introduce any Mobian OCs, but there will still be the occasional human OC. The primary OC will be introduced some time during the first season.

 **#7:** This story will be written in a post-Forces perspective. I have my own plan on how I'll handle the Chaos and Shadow sagas.

 **#8:** Sonic and his friends will have updated personalities, comparable to the Modern, Archie, and IDW versions of the characters. Amy's temper will be slightly cut back, Sonic's attitude will be a different kind of cocky, among several other changes.

 **#9:** After the original episodes (if I decide to add my own episodes), more Sonic characters will be added over time. They may include Blaze, Silver, Metal Sonic, Sticks, the Deadly Six, the Babylon Rogues, Orbot, and Cubot. If I decide to use other characters, those that aren't out of the question are the Freedom Fighters, Sonia, Manic, Geoffrey St. John, Naugus, Scourge, and Tangle. Of course, I will use these characters sparingly.

 **#10:** Episodes will be renamed to fit the new format. For example, the first episode, "Chaos Control Freaks", will be renamed "Gotta Go Fast".

 **#11:** Humans will be more mature in the story. The police officer in "Techno-Teacher" will no longer eat his burger on the job, Jerome Wise will be more subtle about his motives, Grandpa Chuck will not drink in "Cruise Blues", etc.

 **#12:** The chapters will be written in first-person. The perspectives of Chris and Sonic will be most often used, while first-person perspectives of other characters will be infrequently used. Third person will most likely be used infrequently.

 **#13:** The only Archie Sonic X elements that will appear are Captain Westwood, Alexander Pell, Milan Ramada and her friends, and the S.O.N.I.C.X. organization. Milan's friends will be given names.

 **#14:** Characters that don't already have first/last names will be given some. These characters include Tanaka, Danny, Frances, Helen, Mr. Stewart, Officer Albright, the President, and Ella.

 **#15:** In addition to the E-series robots, Badniks will appear in the story. Among them are Motobugs, Buzzbombers, Crabmeats, and Orbinauts.

 **#16:** Some of the E-Series robots' names will be changed. For example: E-35 Funfun wil be renamed E-35 Fujita. The name "Funfun" is far too ridiculous for Eggman to say with a straight face, if you know what I mean.

Other things to expect from me:

 **#1:** I will not skip any episodes. I've seen rewrites in which a few or several episodes are skipped, and I sort of think that takes away from the joy of it. So I will include no fewer then the first forty-six episodes. Additionally, I will limit time skips.

 **#2:** As my writing skills improve, I may go back and rewrite previous chapters.

 **#3:** Chapters will be posted infrequently. There will be no schedule for chapters of Chaos on Earth so I can keep this story the best it can get.

Now that you're asleep after reading this incredibly boring intro (it was originally going to have its own chapter), let's get right to what matters: the story!

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I do not own any elements in this story except for my own characters. Sonic the Hedgehog is owned by SEGA, who does not endorse or affiliate itself with this work of fiction. Real world locations and organizations are used fictitiously. Real world people will be mentioned, but will not appear, in order to adhere with "Entries not allowed" Rule 4._

Without further ado, let us begin...

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

They don't call me the "fastest thing alive" for nothing.

When you're "rolling around at the speed of sound", as that song so accurately puts it, you tend to have a pretty exciting life. Which is normal for me, because I was _born_ for speed. And my speed has carried me all across Mobius on many daring adventures.

But I think the biggest adventures I have are when I get to battle the evil Dr. Ivo Robotnik, better known as Dr. Eggman, the catchy nickname I gave him years ago. At first he hated that name with a passion, but now he took it to heart, and has build lots of robots with names like Egg This, Egg That, and so on. But none of 'em last long when I'm around. I've earned myself quite a reputation for trashing his 'bots and sending him packing. But like all those other cliche villains, he never gives up. He always comes back for more. And I take him down. Every. Single. Time.

Well... not _every_ time, though. He does win some of the time, to be fair. Not too long ago he destroyed a Mobian city as part of his plan to build the Eggman Empire. Then we dealt with Infinite and the Phantom Ruby, and almost-literal ghosts of the past helped to defeat me and imprison me for six months aboard a space station. Six months without running. Six months without fighting. Six months of being submerged in water and other tortures I won't go into. Anyway, I later managed to escape, and, together with a rookie friend of mine, we kicked Eggman's butt and sent him packing once again.

But of course, he came right back. He vowed revenge, as he usually does, and swore to get rid of me once and for all. Same song, different verse. We've clashed a good couple dozen or so times in the year or so since then, Some battles he won, but most of them... well... you get the idea.

But there was one such adventure I would never forget.

That one saw me running toward his big, ugly fortress. My mission: to crack that Eggman wide open and bust Cream out of there. The six-year-old rabbit had been kidnapped by Eggman and held as ransom in exchange for the last Chaos Emerald we had. The other six were slyly taken from us a few days ago, when Eggman distracted us with one of his robots. We had since found the last emerald, and planned to keep it safe from Eggman's bots.

It was _too_ safe. You can probably guess what happened next, but I'll explain more later.

So anyway, I was running straight toward Eggman's fort head-on. Tails and Amy agreed to provide aerial support in the Tornado 2 where needed. It was just us three; I think Knuckles would have liked to join the party, but we haven't seen him for a week. He said something about picking up the trail of a Chaos Emerald. We haven't heard from him since. Shadow was busy doing G.U.N. stuff again, Blaze was back in her own dimension, Silver was back in his own time, and the Chaotix were doing their usual detective things. Oh well, even though it's just us three, we can still get serious business done.

Just then the base's alarm went off. Obviously Eggman was aware of our presence. It wasn't like he didn't know we were coming to bust Cream out of that tower. But now that he knew we were here, I began wondering what new toys the good doctor might send at me this time.

I saw in front of me that the headquarters' front gates were closing. If Eggy thought _they_ could keep me out, he's as wrong as he is guaranteed to lose. But these gates were a good thirty feet tall. No problem. Except there was just a tiny little challenge to clear first: three E-30 Laser Tanks and a swarm of Buzz Bombers. Looks like Eggman's up to his old tricks again. I know he once had an E-100 series a long time back, and there's actually still a surviving member of that series: E-123 Omega. He works with Shadow and Rouge now, so I'm glad he decided working for Eggman was not the answer.

But I've always wondered why Eggman didn't do numbers under 100. Looks like he's taken care of that now. He's been working on these robots and designs for them since the Lost Hex incident, if I recall correctly.

But enough on the E-Series for now. Let's just say the Buzz Bomber swarm picked the wrong day to get some night air. I curled up tight, and bounced myself toward the first Badnik in that swarm. Concentrating, I bounced from bot to bot until all the Buzz Bombers were destroyed. Various animals popped out of them and scurried away. I still think that using animals such as Flickies is inhumane. Just what does Eggman get out of using animals to power robots?

I was so busy watching the animals that I almost didn't see the wall-mounted missile launchers firing at me. Coming back to my senses, I decided to lead them on a merry chase. And so I did. I let those missiles chase me while I kept an eye on the Laser Tanks that started firing at me. Taking a quick look back, I counted six missiles chasing me. What to do with them...

I increased my speed, and was mildly impressed that the missiles were able to keep up with me. But then again, they're just missiles. Three of them crashed behind me as a result of my epic moves. But that still left three others.

I narrowly avoided Laser Tank fire, and thought to let the missiles hit them, but then I saw another potential target: a group of Motobugs. About three dozen of them were speeding toward me head-on. I decided the missiles were for them instead. I ran right through the midst of them, zigzagging to avoid hitting any, and quickly stopped to watch the show. As expected, the remaining three missiles crashed into the Motobugs, destroying them on the spot. The only robots left now were the Laser Tanks.

There were only three of them, armed with heavy laser blasters. Now you're wondering how I know their names. Well, we raided Eggman's base on an earlier mission, and found a list of robots under the E-Series. Of course, the E-100 series was retired. Eggy wouldn't be making _that_ mistake again. From what I hear, they couldn't even find the right frog on their first real mission!

Anyway, some of those robots were available, while others were classified. Their data was encrypted, or showed up as silhouettes. (I could have sworn one of the silhouettes looked like an octopus!)

Back at the battle, the tanks opened fire at me. Eyeing the gates, I knew a thirty-foot jump would easily land me in Eggman's front yard, but where would the fun be in that? I could destroy the Laser Tanks on my way in, which was my intention. But first, the missile launchers. A quick check revealed that they were reloading. Not that I care, though. By the time they're ready, I'll be long gone.

The E-Series, from the little I know of them, are, on average, fairly larger than the standard-issue Badniks I'm used to. And since they're larger, they tend to be bulkier and slower. Good for me, though, because I found the perfect way to scale the wall and destroy the tanks at the same time.

I vaulted myself, Olympic gymnast-style, from tank to tank, and propelled myself clear over that wall. The sound of explosions outside the gate signaled three more destroyed robots, courtesy of Sonic the Hedgehog.

I'm in. Now, where to? It's not like I haven't been here before. In fact, Tails made a map of the fortress using his handy-dandy Miles Electric a while back, so I knew my way around. But right now, it looks like Eggman went through the trouble of preparing a welcoming committee for me. How considerate. But they're more like a goodbye committee. Goodbye to _them_ , that is.

I was just about to spin-dash the Flickies out of them (literally) when I heard this metallic stomping noise. No normal Badnik is capable of that kind of ruckus, so I guessed it was another one of those E-Series robots. And I was right. Three giant robots were approaching me. Then they activated their jetpacks and surrounded me. Of course. I should have known Eggman would have his E-12 Behemoths on duty. But then again, these are disposable robots, and I was more than happy to take out Eggy's trash for him.

One of the Behemoths aimed its arm at me, but I knew better than to stand in the way of an impending laser blast. I leaped out from among them as its arm fired a massive laser, creating a massive, scorching hole. Turning back, I saw that the Behemoth that tries to blast me had instead blasted its other two friends. Sonic 1, Eggman 0. Actually more than that, if you count the Laser Tanks and Badniks I destroyed on the way here.

Uh-oh. Looks like I made that last Behemoth mad. It fired up its booster rockets and started to fly toward me. That's when I decided to juice it loose. As expected, the giant robot was chasing me. It was fast, but I was definitely faster. A quick glance up, and I could see the Tornado in the distance. And it was _mondo_ occupied. Dozens of Buzz Bombers were swarming around it. I decided to rest assured that Tails had a device he could use to deactivate them.

I was so busy looking ahead that I almost didn't see the Egg Pawns in front of me! I really need to look where I'm going. Or maybe the Behemoth's strategy was to herd me into them. Either way, those Egg Pawns wouldn't stand a chance against me. But I had better ideas...

Breaking right immediately before I would have run into the Egg Pawns, I spotted a tunnel in the distance. I made a beeline for it, and, once inside, stopped briefly to see if the Behemoth would follow me. It had a difficult time turning around, but it did. When it started heading right toward me again, I decided to keep the merry chase going.

Hopefully Cream doesn't have to wait long before I arrive. The poor girl has been stuck there for nearly two hours now, too long in my book. After Eggman took the other Chaos Emeralds from us, we had found the last emerald (the red one, for those who are wondering). Earlier tonight, Tails, Amy, Cream, and I were gathered together at Cream and Vanilla's place to discuss how to break into Eggman's base and get the Chaos Emeralds back. The spooky thing is, Eggman's been rather quiet lately. He hasn't even so much as revealed what he intends to use the emeralds for. But whatever it is, it's bad. So we had just finished supper (I, of course, had chili dogs, by the way), when several Egg Pawns burst through the door. Ordering everyone to stay in their seats, they searched the entire house for the emerald, even nearly overturning the furniture in their reckless plight for it. I tried to fight them, but was secured to my seat by an electric rope they brought along. When they couldn't find the emerald, they decided their best course of action was to lift Cream out of her seat and drag her out the door. The others secured the rest of us to our seats using the same electric rope. I was sitting at such an angle that I could only see half of what was going on outside. But what I did see made me really wish I was untied. They had placed Cream inside a capsule-shaped robot (an E-31 Capsule Carrier, as I later learned), and shipped her off to Eggman's fort. It took me a little bit, but I managed to break free. I freed the others, and said that we need to get over there and free her right now. Tails got the Chaos Emerald out of hiding and handed it to me before taking Amy to the Tornado. Thus began our mission.

And that just about takes us to where we are now. I was still running down that tunnel with the Behemoth tailing me. Judging by my surroundings, I was in the giant circular hallway surrounding Eggman's underground factory. I could easily take the Behemoth inside and take down the whole place, but not with Cream at stake. The factory was partially underneath the fort, which was a risk I was not taking. So I instead looked for an exit to this seemingly endless hallway.

And I had to find it fast. A second Behemoth seemed to appear out of nowhere in front of me. At last, there was the exit to my left. I zipped through it, and not a moment too soon, for the Behemoths collided with each other, going up in a fiery explosion.

Definitely not enough to blow up the factory. That was the good news. The bad news was that I knew there were still a few Behemoths left in Eggy's arsenal. But there was more good news to make up for that. Tails had activated a container of EMP gas he had added to the Tornado, which was causing the Buzz Bombers to short out and drop like flies. Good old Tails. He had just given me the perfect projectiles to take out the platoon of Egg Pawns in front of me.

So I leaped into the air, and, one by one, kicked the lifeless Buzz Bombers into the Egg Pawns below, taking them out. Those that didn't go down quite so easily met their demise, courtesy of my signature home attack move. Landing on the ground, I dusted my gloves. Another job well done. Turning toward the fort, I decided that the fun and games ended here. It was time to take on Baldy McNosehair.

But the moment I sped toward the fortress head-on, I wish I hadn't.

 _Boing!_

Oops. I took a step too far. I was too focused on bashing bots that I didn't count on the place being booby-trapped. Now I'm used to springs and stuff, just not in the wrong places. I was flung into the air, watching as the ground became sky and vice versa, over and over. I looked down (or is it up?) for a safe place to land. But nothing's safe in Eggman's base, unfortunately. Another Behemoth came from my right (left?) and delivered a powerful blow to my abdomen. I was sent flying once again. And, horror of horrors, I felt the Chaos Emerald slip out of my possession. I heard Tails calling my name, but he need not worry. I'm very resilient, and it takes a lot more than that to break my bones. (Besides, isn't that reserved for sticks and stones? Sorry. Gallows humor. Not that I'm going to die now, but still.)

I landed outside the base. Turning my head, I saw that a fresh batch of Laser Tanks were driving outside the gate. They were blasting at Tails, but they were also turning toward me in an attempt to turn me into roadkill. That was unexpected, Eggman. You never cease to amaze me...

* * *

Third-person POV.

Sonic's misfortune did not escape Tails' attention. He did not expect the Behemoths to suddenly overpower him. Had Sonic not activated the hidden spring trap, he might have had a chance at defeating them. But what's done is done. Eggman was a tricky foe, and Tails knew it took more than speed to defeat him.

But Sonic appeared to be winded by the sudden turn of events. Tails knew that dire situations called for dire measures. He decided on activating the Power Ring rocket stored inside his plane, the Tornado 2. The Power Rings were artifacts of great power, obtained from a lake in the middle of the Great Forest back on Mobius.

Since Sonic and Tails left the Freedom Fighters a while back, they knew they couldn't part ways with the rings forever. So every once in a while, Sonic visited Knothole Village to pick up the rings which formed in the lake once every twenty-four hours. Over time, he and his friends had formed an impressive collection of rings.

But why were these rings so important? After Eggman's coup that succeeded in conquering the old city of Mobotropolis, Sonic's Uncle Chuck had invented the Power Rings, genetically coding them so that only Sonic could use them. The rings greatly enhanced Sonic's speed and strength, and they had helped the hedgehog time and again to foil Eggman's plans.

Fortunately, Eggman never found the location of Knothole Village, and, in essence, never found the source of the Power Rings. Since the war ended, the Freedom Fighters disbanded, but they never forgot about the rings which gave Sonic great power.

Such power was needed tonight.

However, just as the two-tailed fox was about to press the button to send Sonic some well-needed aid, a Laser Tank took aim at the plane and struck its undercarriage with deadly accuracy. The plane rocked with the impact, causing Amy to cry out in alarm from the second seat. As the resulting fire began to spread to the Tornado's tail, she began to search for the fire extinguisher they usually brought with them for such emergencies, but it wasn't to be found.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed. "Tails, we forgot the fire extinguisher!"

A sinking feeling fell on the young fox. "I was in such a hurry to join Sonic that I forgot to bring it!" Tails rarely made this mistake. "I'm gonna land as soon as I get the ring to Sonic."

"Okay…" she whispered, hoping the damage wasn't critical enough to jeopardize the entire mission.

Tails jammed down the button to launch the ring. A compartment in the belly of the Tornado opened, and a small rocket containing a Power Ring was jettisoned out. Its engine ignited, and it sped toward Sonic.

Tails and Amy had offered to cover for Sonic while he went in to Eggman's base to rescue Cream, but with the plane damaged, Tails hoped that Sonic could make it through the base on his own. If not… he hoped they would survive this ordeal so they could aid him.

The sound of a small explosion could be heard in the distance.

"Amy, did he get the ring?" Tails asked.

Amy looked behind her. It was hard to see through the smoke and flames, but she saw a golden glimmer in the hand of her beloved Sonic.

"Yes!" she answered.

"Good," Tails responded. "I'm going to see if I can land in one piece."

Looking at the monitor, he realized that the fire damage was worse than he thought. The engines were overheating, the rear wheel was heavily damaged, and now the steering mechanism was damaged as well. This was going to be a close one.

"Brace yourself for a crash landing!" Tails warned Amy.

"Is it that bad?" she shouted over the engines.

"I'm afraid so! The steering and landing gear have been damaged."

Suddenly Amy pointed ahead. "Tails, look out!"

Tails gasped. A huge rock loomed right in the middle of the Tornado's crash path. With no steering and basic control whatsoever, it seemed there was no possible way to avoid the boulder in time.

But there was one way to stay alive.

"Brace yourself; I'm going to eject us!"

Amy nodded and prepared herself for her seat to launch itself into the air. But it never happened, as both the Tornado's occupants witnessed three life-saving things.

A red flash.

A spiked fist.

And a smashed boulder.

Tails and Amy breathed sighs of relief as the Tornado bumped along the ground, moving past where the boulder was. Tails did not like the sound the plane made as it rear slid along the grass. They finally slowed to a complete stop a good thirty feet from where the boulder once lay. Neither of them spoke on account of their increased heart rates and their adrenalin rush wearing off. Complete silence filled the air, with the only sound being the tearing apart of metal over at Eggman's fortress. Tails could rest assured Sonic got the ring.

Knuckles the Echidna caught up with them from the right side of the plane. "You all right?" he asked.

Tails turned to Knuckles and smiled. "Yeah, now that you're here," he replied. "Thanks for the save."

Knuckles nodded curtly. "It's what I do."

"Where were you this whole time?" Amy asked, not out of anger, but curiosity.

"About that…" Knuckles sounded hesitant. "I kinda didn't tell you guys that I sensed a Chaos Emerald near Radical Highway."

"And you left without telling us?" an incredulous Amy asked. Knuckles didn't answer, so she took that as a yes.

"Turns out, there was never a Chaos Emerald out there. Eggman had gotten there first and was using it to taunt me. He tricked me again."

Tails facepalmed, while Amy sighed in annoyance. Knuckles was prone to being tricked constantly. His friends thought he would have gotten over this during the war. The echidna chose to ignore the air of annoyance.

"As far as I know, that's the only Emerald Eggman has in his possession," he continued.

"Hate to break it to you, Knuckles, but it's not," Tails corrected.

Knuckles was taken aback. "What?! Then how many does he have?"

"He's taken the six we had, and tonight he's kidnapped Cream and Cheese as ransom for the seventh," answered Amy.

"I heard," Knuckles answered. "About the kidnapping part, I mean. Sonic told me."

Tails stood up and helped Amy down from the wrecked Tornado. "Well, it won't do us any good sitting here and doing nothing," Tails pointed out. "We need to help Sonic."

Amy pulled her Piko Piko Hammer out of Hammerspace. "Ready when you are, Commander!"

"Oh, I'm ready all right. Ready for revenge." Knuckles crashed his namesakes together. "Stay close. I'm not in the mood to deal with unnecessary casualties tonight."

Tails and Amy nodded before the three of them ran toward the fortress. They could still hear Sonic continue his assault on the robot army.

 _Go get 'em, Sonic,_ thought Knuckles. _We're right behind you._

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Within the walls of Eggman's lair, robots of many shapes and sizes were moving about, heading to different posts or out into combat. They would certainly be needed tonight. The tower and its underlying factory were home to thousands of Eggman's mechanical servants. And their creation and duties were personally overseen by Dr. Ivo Robotnik himself from his command center at the top of the tower.

He was there at this moment with his two hench-bots, E-01 Decoe and E-02 Bocoe. While the former was colored yellow and was tall with a tall head, the latter was grayish, rounded, and short. The three sat in silence as they watched Sonic destroying Eggman's own creations on the giant viewscreen. The large digital clock behind them read 10:54 PM; Eggman would usually be in bed by now, but since he had a prisoner with him, he decided to stay up in case Sonic would immediately come after him, which he did.

In the corner of the room, Cream and Cheese were confined to a capsule which had been deposited by Eggman's Capsule Carrier. Needless to say, they were scared and wanted to go home badly; their slight whimpering signified it, but it fell on deaf ears. This was not their first time on captivity, but it was still quite frightening.

In the center of the room was a giant machine of some sort. There was a tube that led to the ceiling, as well as a master switch and slots for the seven Chaos Emeralds.

Eggman let out an exasperated groan as the screen lit up brightly. While he was no stranger to seeing that hedgehog power himself up with a Power Ring, he still couldn't find out how they were genetically encoded to him only. He had given up on it years ago, however.

"Gah!" he exclaimed. "Why must that infernal hedgehog always interfere with my plans? Every single time!"

Cream replied to the doctor's rhetorical question from the corner. "You know why just as much as I do," she replied.

Eggman swiveled his chair around to face her. "Oh? And why is that, Creamy-dreamy?" he asked tauntingly.

The young rabbit cringed. That nickname sounded so _wrong_ coming from him. "Because you are a bad man, Dr. Eggman, and Mr. Sonic only wants to stop you from doing all the bad things you like to do."

"Chao chao!" Cream's Chao friend Cheese agreed.

"A bad man, eh?" marveled Eggman. "You haven't seen the half of it!" Turning back to the screen, he said, "Well, Sonic has no chance of stopping me tonight. Not when I'm holding all the good cards."

He rubbed his hands together in glee. "And I'll further secure my victory right now. Bocoe, Decoe, lock down the entire base. I don't want to deal with rodent infestations tonight."

"Right, Dr. Eggman," both robots responded. Bocoe selected which areas would be locked down (in this case, all of them), and Decoe pressed the "LOCK DOWN" button. In moments they could hear the sound of every interior door closing and sealing themselves.

"The tower has been sealed, Doctor," Decoe announced.

"No one can enter or leave with the sole exception of your own robots," Bocoe added.

"Excellent," The rotund doctor stated while fiddling with his mustache. "Let's see that blue eyesore try to break in now."

Just then there was a knock at the door to the command center.

"But we just sealed it..." sighed Decoe.

"Check who it is," ordered Eggman without moving from his spot at the screen.

After pressing a few buttons at the console, Bocoe activated the surveillance menu. "It's Bokkun, Doctor," he reported.

"Let him in."

Bocoe headed back over to the lockdown console and navigated the map until he found the command center. Tapping the door, he turned around and watched it open. Decoe and Eggman also turned as an E-03 Messenger Robo unit named Bokkun flew into the room. A shiny red gem was in his hands.

Eggman stood up. He needed to stretch since he had been seated in that seat for most of the night. "Ah, the seventh Chaos Emerald, right on time," he said as Bokkun handed it to him.

"Sonic was carrying this Chaos Emerald until one of your Behemoths "encouraged" him to donate it to us," Bokkun joked. "Looks like he won't need it anymore!"

"Let's hope you're right," Eggman mused as he turned to his giant machine. He did not see Bokkun wink at Cream in the corner, making her uncomfortable. There seemed to be a little _something_ between them...

"Now that all seven Chaos Emeralds are in my possession," he stated, "nothing can stop me from putting my grand scheme into motion!"

"W-What are you going to do with the Chaos Emeralds, Dr. Eggman?" Cream nervously asked.

"I'm glad you asked," Eggman said, a little too much glee in his tone. "You see this machine here? I've been working on it for the past two months. All I need to do is insert this last Chaos Emerald, throw the switch, and voila! Every single living organism within one hundred miles of my lair will be turned into my cold metal slaves, excluding myself. Even you, Cream, will serve me in a new body!"

Now Cream was truly frightened. She had never been directly threatened with roboticization before, and knew that she could not possibly avoid the process without help.

It took her a moment to find her voice. "Y-you'll n-n-never get away with th-this, Doctor Eggman! Mr. Sonic will-"

"Sonic can't stop me, remember?" he gloated, even though this was not true. "I can't get away with this? Oh, _please_. I've gotten away with _much_ worse, like, I don't know... _feeding the Chaos Emeralds to a giant water god capable of destroying an entire city?!_ "

This did nothing to alleviate the pure fear coming from Cream and Cheese. "B-b-but I don't want to become a robot!"

"Chao chao chao!" echoed Cheese.

"Oh, don't worry," Eggman "reassured". "The process is entirely painless - that is, unless you choose to defy me after your roboticization. Oh that's right, you _can't_." He let out an evil laugh before approaching the cage. "Your precious Sonic the Hedgehog just relinquished the last Chaos Emerald. Isn't he generous?"

He threw another glance at the screen, where Sonic appeared to be surrounded by more robots. "Are you _sure_ he can save you now? You know he can't. Soon you will all be roboticized. And what fun that will be, given I have never roboticized a Chao before."

"You leave Cheese out of this!" Cream demanded.

Attempting to hide his mirth, Eggman started back to his seat. "Sonic the Hedgehog will be terminated," he stated matter-of-factly. "Count on it."

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

Okay, so a couple E-Series robots think they can take me down just by surrounding me. Big deal. I've got a Power Ring, and I'm not afraid to use it. If Eggy's watching me now, and I know he is, he's in for a big surprise. I leaped out from among them, then proceed to use homing attacks on each of them, destroying them instantly. One of the Behemoths grabbed me, but since I knew hedgehog sandwiches weren't appetizing, I used both hands and feet to push the robot's hands off of me, then proceed to spin right through its core, destroying it immediately.

All the robots in that area were completely demolished. Now it's time to take down the Eggman.

I looked at the tower. Now obviously Eggman has been prepared for me, so I ruled out the front door. Even the lower walls were most likely heavily guarded. So I figured the best way in was through one of the underhanging skylights. That would mean scaling a vertical wall and breaking glass, which would surely alert those inside. No risk is too big for me!

So I started running up the tower's wall (being able to exceed the force of gravity has its advantages). Two seconds later, I reached the top. Even though the floodlights were blinding, I immediately executed a spin and broke through the skylight.

Great. I've just landed in one of the eight aerial Badnik launch bays. Fortunately it was near-empty, since they had launched nearly all of their Buzzbombers in an attempt to do me in. There were still a few left, which I immediately got rid of without breaking a sweat.

Then there was the door to the upper hallway. Eggman had obviously sealed off the entire fort. Big surprise there. I smirked. Nothing a spin dash can't penetrate!

And now the home stretch. The door to Eggman's command center was right there. Of course, it was sealed off. I was just about to break through the door when I heard the voices of Eggman and Cream on the other side.

"N-no, Doctor Eggman," Cream was saying. She was clearly panicked. "I d-didn't do it."

"Bokkun doesn't lie, Cream," Eggman replied. "That was clearly a secret wink you just did. This means that you have an accomplice in our midst. Bokkun, search the entire room for our little friend, whoever he or she may be!"

Yikes. Things are looking mondo bad for Cream. Just then another metallic voice (Bocoe or Decoe, maybe?) spoke, but it was too far away for me to hear what he was saying.

"What?!" Eggman replied. "He's here?!"

Now's my cue. I spun through the door, destroying it completely. There was the fat man himself, with a shocked expression on his face. Cream and Cheese were relieved that I came, and Bocoe, Decoe, and Bokkun... well, they're _robots_.

"Mr. Sonic!" Cream exclaimed.

"You managed to breach my lockdown system," Eggman was incredulous. "How?"

"You know me," I smirked, "always able to dodge whatever you throw at me. But enough joking around. I demand that you release Cream and surrender the Chaos Emeralds immediately!"

"One or the other, Sonic," Eggman said. "You can't have your cake and eat it too. Either way, you will be roboticized, along with every single living organism within 100 miles of this place."

That caught me off guard for a moment. I thought roboticization was behind him. Guess I'm wrong. "Roboticized."

"Yes, Sonic. Roboticized. You might be interested to know that is only the prototype model. The final model will _roboticize the whole world_."

No way, no how, would I ever let Eggman do that. A world crawling with evil robots is not a pretty one. Eggman was just about to place the final Chaos Emerald into the slot with the other six when I snatched it from him in one swift move. "I like my organic body, thanks!" I taunted.

Eggman looked from his hand where the Chaos Emerald had just been to me with hatred. "What did they teach you about stealing?!" he exclaimed. Turning to Bocoe and Decoe, who were sitting at the console, the good doctor gave an order. "Beam E-13 into the room. I want this hedgehog good and gone!"

"Right, Dr. Eggman!" both robots responded.

"I still wonder why you ditched Orbot and Cubot for those two," I said.

"'Ditched' is such a strong word," Eggman said. "They are merely in storage. I replaced them because of their incompetence. They may return if I decide it."

I smirked. "What makes you think _they_ won't be incompetent either?"

Before Eggman could answer, a robot began to materialize in the room. It was slightly smaller than a Laser Tank, but still looked pretty agile and powerful.

"Meet E-13 Guardian," Eggman introduced the robot. "You'll find that fighting in close quarters is risky, especially when hostages are involved!" He beckoned to Cream. "E-13, get that hedgehog and give me the Chaos Emerald he has!"

"Heh. If you can catch me!" I taunted. I started running laps around the room as the Guardian began firing at me. Eggman's right: closed spaces are risky, and I don't want Cream getting hurt."

"Not as easy as you thought, eh, Sonic?" Eggman said.

I ducked under a laser shower before starting to run again. I saw Bokkun trying to hide behind Decoe's seat.

"Decoe! Cover me!" he cried.

Decoe appeared confused. "I thought you liked interfering in fights," he said.

"But this is Eggman's base, and I don't wanna ruin his project!"

"Oh, I see."

"Oh, Sonic?" Eggman called. "I'll bet you want to know that one of my Laser tanks shot down the Tornado when you were using your Power Ring. Backup isn't coming anytime soon."

I realized that the Guardian was firing at me almost ceaselessly, which gave me an idea. I stopped running right in front of Eggman, and the Guardian turned its guns on both of us.

"What are you doing, Sonic?!" cried Eggman. "I didn't think you would stoop so low as to commit cold-blooded murder like this!"

"Just testing your reaction time," I amended as I leaped out of the way. No way would I actually _kill_ Eggman; I only want to bring him to justice.

Apparently the Guardian was a bit slow on the draw. Just as it was about to fire, a crunch sound came from the doorway. I watched as the hole became bigger, and Knuckles, Amy, and Tails barged into the room.

It was good to know Tails and Amy survived the crash. And Knuckles was back! Hadn't seen _him_ in a while.

"Welcome to the party!" I greeted. Turning to Knuckles, I added "And hey, I see you brought the _punch_."

"Very funny, Sonic," was all he said before he locked eyes with Eggman, revenge on his mind.

"I should have known you rodents would rise from the wreckage of your plane like the phoenixes you're not," muttered Eggman.

Knuckles ignored Eggman (wise move). Instead he gave an order. "Amy, get Cream and Cheese out of here. Tails, get the Chaos Emeralds out of that machine. And Eggman, I hope you know what's coming for you."

"I should say the same about you," Eggman said. "Don't you know what this is?"

I saw Tails reaching out for the Chaos Emeralds plugged into the machine. "Careful buddy, that could be-"

Before I could say "dangerous" (and it _was_ , believe me), an electric shock jumped from the machine to Tails' hand, causing him to yelp and leap back.

"Did I forget to mention the Chaos Roboticizer has its own self-defense system to discourage thieves?" Eggman brought up.

"Well, this changes things," Tails mused.

Meanwhile Amy approached the capsule that Cream and Cheese were trapped in. She brandished her signature Piko Piko Hammer. "Close your eyes, Cream," she said. "I'm getting you out of here."

Cream and Cheese did as they were told, and Amy smashed the top of the capsule off. The sound of glass shattering echoed through the room.

"Don't just stand there! Stop them!" yelled Eggman to the Guardian.

"C'mon, you two. We're getting out of here," Amy said as gently as she could as she took Cream's hand. The latter carried Cheese in her other hand as they ran back for the hole which they came from.

"Thank you, Miss Amy," thanked Cream as they left the room. The Guardian tried to follow but was brutally rocketed into the wall, courtesy of Knuckles' fist. The impact was strong enough that the Guardian exploded on impact, raining shrapnel everywhere. We flinched, but the shrapnel miraculously didn't hit anyone. But it did hit _something_.

"My machine!" Eggman cried, before quickly calming down. "At least it can take a beating and keep on functioning."

"It won't be functioning for much-"

"Yoink!" Bokkun exclaimed, stopping me mid-sentence, as he snatched the Chaos Emerald out of my grasp. I can't believe I got sidetracked like that. Bokkun dropped the Chaos Emerald into Eggman's open hand.

"Seven emeralds, millions of new robots, and one all-powerful Dr. Eggman!" crowed the fat doctor as he headed toward his machine.

"This is bad," I muttered. This was going to be close.

Tails rushed over to me. "I could try to disable the Chaos Roboticizer's defense mechanism, but it would take too much time!"

I smirked. "Then I guess we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way!"

"You can't stop me, Sonic!" laughed Eggman as he placed the Chaos Emerald into its slot. "Five more seconds and the next thing you'll say is 'All hail Dr. Eggman!'"

The guy's insane. For a doctor, he sure could _use_ one. Turning to Tails and Knuckles, we gave a secret nod, which meant that we were basically thinking the same thing. Instantaneously we bolted toward Eggman. Time seemed to slow down. Would he pull the lever and roboticize the entire region? Or would we take down the doctor and save the day? Two possible outcomes, one result. Which would it be?

"Too late, hedgehog."

Unfortunately, Eggman acted first. He pulled the lever a split second before we tackled him to the ground. It looked like we lost. The machine started glowing intensely. But then something happened that I least expected.

As the Chaos Roboticizer glowed, it also began to shake, rattle, and roll. The Guardian's lasers and shrapnel must have done a number on Eggy's new toy. Then I was blinded by an extremely bright white glow. Could this be? Did Eggman really cause-

I didn't have enough time to think as the whiteness turned to blackness as I landed on something hard.

My name's Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog. And this is the story of my journey to another universe.

* * *

 **? POV**

"Lindsey Thorndyke, you've done it again," commented my grandfather as the movie's credits began to roll.

"She has such marvelous acting skills," Ella, our maid, said for maybe the tenth time that night.

"Mrs. Thorndyke never ceases to amaze her audience," our butler Mr. Tanaka voiced his opinion.

"I'm not really a romance fan," I commented, "but this was Mom's best acting yet!"

"Isn't it though," Grandpa added. "She is indeed a natural."

As the credits continued, we all rose from our seats, and Ella and Tanaka began to clean up the popcorn. One of the great things about watching Mom's movies is that we get to watch it two weeks before it premieres in theaters. And that's why it rocks to be a Thorndyke.

Oh, I'm forgetting my manners. My name is Christopher Thorndyke. I'm twelve years old, and I attend Oakview Elementary School. Summer vacation is ending, and I'll be going into sixth grade this Monday.

I live in a big mansion (appropriately called Thorndyke Manor) with our maid Miss Ella, our butler Mr. Tanaka, and my Grandpa Chuck. Ella makes the best recipes I've ever had, even giving some of the fancy diners a run for their money. Tanaka is well-trained in martial arts, and is very patient with us, even in trying times. Grandpa is a scientist who has his own lab set up in the room above the detached garage.

We had just finished watching _The Winds of Change_ , Mom's latest blockbuster. In the movie, the lead actor's character had run into tough economical times, and Mom's character loved him so much that she offered to work to get him back on his feet.

"Did you hear that Lindsey's going to be in another romance movie?" Ella asked as she tossed the trash in the garbage can in the kitchen.

"No," Tanaka answered. "What is it called?"

" _Valencia_."

"Interesting," the butler commented. " _The Winds of Change_ was a most excellent movie. I believe _Valencia_ will be even more so."

"Hey Chris," Grandpa started, "you might want to know that she's also going to be in the next _Elites_ movie."

"Really?!" This was awesome. _The Elites_ is my favorite movie series (Star Wars is a close second), and with Mom in the third installment, _Dawn of Spectrum_ , how could it get any better?

"Surprise," Grandpa beamed. "It's also going to be sponsored in part by Starship Soft." Starship Soft was my dad's mega software company that owns nearly seventy percent of the world's technology industry. I'd say it could give Bill Gates a run for his money.

Having finished cleaning up, Ella and Tanaka left the kitchen. "Are you excited to see you father tomorrow?" Ella asked me.

"Oh, yes!" I responded. "I don't think I've seen him since Christmas, if I'm right." Eight months is a long tome to wait to see one's father. Too long, actually.

Just then Tanaka's smart phone rang. "It's Mr. Thorndyke," he reported before answering the phone. "Mr. Thorndyke," he greeted before listening.

That must be coincidence. We were just talking about Dad before he called. I just hope his visit isn't cancelled.

"I see," Tanaka spoke again. "...Two weeks? ... Very well. We await your presence. Sayonara." He hung up before turning me. "My deepest apologies, Master Chris, but your father will not be able to make it tomorrow. He has agreed to reschedule his visit for two weeks' time."

This I sort of expected. I've gone through this routine for probably all my life. I know my dad is very busy as the CEO of Starship Soft, and my mom stars in maybe three movies a year. At this rate, it's normal for them to delay their arrivals for weeks on end. When I was younger, I used to cry when my parents couldn't come home; but now that I'm older, I've grown past that stage. Nevertheless, I was still sad.

Chuck turned to my crestfallen face. "Don't be down, Chris," he encouraged. "At least your mother's still coming this weekend."

"Yeah..." Of course, this was always subject to change.

Dessert was a blur, due to both dejection and exhaustion. I wanted to see Dad badly, and now it looked like I needed to wait longer. Bedtime soon arrived, and, after brushing my teeth and washing my face, I crawled into bed. Thus ended another day in the life of Chris Thorndyke. If only I had friends to share these days with.

You see, I may be perhaps the richest kid in the world, but I have no close friends. At least, none I make out of sympathy only. All the other kids think I'm a celebrity. They only like me because I'm popular. But I've never had a genuine friend.

Just then I saw what I thought what looked like a shooting star in the distance. Then an idea came to me. What if I _wished_ for friends? It sounded crazy, but I thought it was crazy enough to work.

I walked over to the window and looked up into the sky before beginning the shooting star rhyme. It may sound a little young for my age, but I thought it would bring some effect.

" _Star light, star bright  
First star I see tonight,_  
 _I wish I may, I wish I might,_  
 _Have this wish I wish tonight._  
I wish for close genuine friends I can have forever."

As I slipped into the realm of my dreams, I wondered if my wish worked. I had no idea what was coming for me.

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

Man, I must have really been thrown for a loop, 'cause it feels like I've been out cold for a while. Last thing I remember, I was fighting Eggman, trying to stop him from roboticizing the entire region... Now, I'm here. The question is, how could a machine initiate Chaos Control like that? And why did it happen then? Actually, was it even Chaos Control? It must have been, even though I've never seen it executed at that scale before.

It felt like I was lying on something hard, so I decided to find out what it was. I slowly opened my eyes, and found that I was lying on... a road? How could I have gotten _here_? I thought Chaos Control was one of those "all in the mind" things. But if I was in the middle of the road, then that means-

 _Honk honk!_

I leaped to my feet and dodged the pair of headlights that moved my way, only to find myself in the path of another. I kept moving until the cars stopped coming. Now I'm no stranger to traffic. Places like Station Square and Central City are full of it. But here it looked like I created myself a little traffic jam, seeing how all the cars were stopped up like that. I bet the citizens of this town weren't expecting me to drop in.

Taking a look around, I saw that the drivers and pedestrians were Overlanders. No surprise there. I've had lots of encounters with 'em. But the thing that got me was what they were doing. They were all staring. Staring at me, as if they'd never seen a Mobian before. That's what really got me.

At this point, the incessant honking and shouting was really starting to get to me. Then I saw something that made the situation even weirder: a store. Well, it wasn't the store itself as much as the sign overhead.

 _"Station Square Jewelers"_

Now my head's spinning. How on Mobius could I be in Station Square without the people recognizing me? Maybe-

"All right, people, clear the scene. This is an investigation zone. Move it."

I turned to the source of the voice. It was one of several Overlander policemen. They were addressing the growing crowd, who, from the looks of things, had been honking and shouting at me for quite a while. Some of the policemen were apologizing to the drivers and pedestrians for the inconvenience, while others were setting up police lines around the intersection. From the looks of things, I'm a sight for sore eyes here. Have they not seen a Mobian before? I didn't have much time to think about it, for a few of the officers began to approach me.

"We have a situation here; an unidentified organism is blocking up traffic at 7th and Spruce, over," spoke one of the officers into his radio.

It must have been on loudspeaker, for the voice on the other end was nice and loud. "Is it someone in costume?"

The officer gave me a once-over. "Negative."

"Subdue it and bring it to the station." the voice replied. "The people at the Station Square Science lab can take it from there.

Whoa. Things just got mondo ugly. A _science lab_?! Do they even have Mobians here? And if they can catch me (which they most likely can't, since, you know, I'm the fastest thing alive), they'd probably experiment on me and run tests like I'm some kind of alien. Man, I tell you, science was always my least favorite subject.

I went from startled to belittled at the next actions of the officers. They began to treat me like I was some kind of animal. Well, technically, I _am_ an animal, but not _that_ kind of animal. Anyway, they were coaxing me, something like this:

"Here, big guy... Good boy, wanna come have a ride to the police station?"

They were pretty much _this_ close to asking me to sit and beg. I'm so glad they didn't bring out the clicker and treats.

So anyway, that did it for me. I'm not an animal, and no one on my world treats me as such. Maybe I could jog their memory of me a little bit, yeah?

"Guys! Don't you remember me?" I said. "I'm Sonic the Hedgehog!"

Nope. Didn't work. Instead, they were taken aback, something I only half expected. Looks like they didn't know I could speak at all, much less speak in their own language. I'd take off right then, but I didn't because the officers were regrouping, and I wanted to hear what they were discussing.

Unfortunately, I couldn't hear much, as their conversation was whispered, but I picked up words such as English, hedgehog, and alien. Then they stopped speaking all at once, enabling me to listen in:

"I can't believe that _thing_ is a _hedgehog_!" one of the officers was still incredulous.

"They've got hedgehogs on other worlds?" another spoke.

"Focus on the situation at hand," interrupted the police sergeant. He sounded like he had a thick accent. (Which country, I didn't know. I would have to study this world's geography to find out.)

"It may not have done us any harm besides cause a traffic jam, but it's an alien nonetheless," he continued. "I suggest a way we capture it."

"Coaxing it sure didn't work," said the one officer who tried coaxing me earlier.

"Yeah," said another officer. "Will handcuffs work on it? It looks pretty strong."

"Dunno, but it's worth a try," the sergeant replied.

"I'll do it," the first officer said.

One of the amateur officers looked a little nervous. "It won't attack us, will it?"

"Relax," the first officer reassured his partner. "I used to be an animal catcher, and besides, hedgehogs are supposed to be a tame species."

I could have laughed. They haven't seen a _thing_ I can do.

"He looks confident," the first officer whispered to the police sergeant, but another officer overheard. "I'll wipe that smile from his-"

"Stand down," commanded the sergeant. "Don't instigate this alien. It could be friendly."

"You have a point," replied the second officer. "Do we have any tranks on us?"

"Afraid not." the sergeant answered. "The net will have to do."

I was about to retort, but wisely held it back. I knew that words could not convince the officers that I meant no harm. I mean, what more could I do at this point? They wouldn't really believe me no matter what I said. And since diplomacy isn't one of my strong points, I decided to juice it loose. But before I could, one of the officers draped a net over my head.

Really? A net? They _seriously_ think I'm some kind of animal? But hey, I saw this coming, so I decided to play along.

"I got him, Sarge!" called the responsible officer.

"Subdue him!" ordered the police sergeant as the other officers surrounded me.

Okay, playtime's already over. _Now_ I decided to beat feet.

"Aaahhh! I need backup!" cried the officer as he sailed through the air. The net was the only thing that prevented him from getting third-degree burns on the asphalt. That's totally not the way to go. I don't want to do this, but it's my only chance of getting out or here alive and free.

"He's too fast! I can't catch him!" exclaimed one of the officers.

If _this_ version of Station Square contains this much excitement, I want to see the rest of it as well... even though it's not _my_ Station Square. Unfortunately, my Station Square never recovered from the Perfect Chaos incident. So anyway, I figured I didn't want any hitchhikers on my sightseeing trip. I'm _pretty_ sure hitchhiking is illegal, so I needed a place to drop my cop buddy off. And I spotted it: a police car.

Now I almost regret doing what I did, but I vaulted myself over the car, while simultaneously shrugging off the net. Both cop and net sailed through the open driver's window of the car. At the screams I heard behind me, I shuddered. I would _never_ do that if I weren't trying to escape.

But now that it's all behind me (literally), it's time to take in the sights of this town.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

To say the least, the two-person front section of a police squad car is not made for three people.

This was made clear when the alien cleared the roof of the car, shaking off the net draped over his head and effectively throwing the trailing officer through the open window of the newly-arrived squad car. Good thing the unfortunate officer's hands were already out in front of him, or a serious head injury was in order. Instead, he only suffered a cut on his hand. The other two officers had unbuckled their seat belts, and were just about to disembark from the car when the incident happened. They had only suffered bruises. It could have been much worse.

"Open the doors!" ordered the driver as he opened his door. The passenger officer did the same, allowing the third officer to crawl out of the car. The other two officer got out as well.

"Everyone okay?" the driver asked.

"Shaken, but otherwise fine," replied the passenger.

"Just a cut," added the third officer.

The driver picked up his radio. This had to be reported. Injuring police officers is a no-go in anyone's book.

"Car 15 calling Station 1," he spoke. "Come in..."

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

"It sounds like a joke," remarked the police chief upon hearing the latest report.

"Yeah," agreed one of the officers. "Nothing in our world has the capabilities to run at speeds in excess of four hundred miles per hour."

"This could be a problem," mused the chief. "While I don't know whether to consider it a crime, as it _is_ from another world and does not understand our laws, it still injured a couple of our officers, though indirectly." He stood up. "It may or may not be friendly, but we need to get it off our streets."

He turned to his laptop and switched to the Google Maps tab. "7th Avenue heads out to Highway 101, which is where the alien codenamed 'Sonic the Hedgehog' is headed." He thought for a bit. "We need to block off the arteries leading out of the city, as well as set up a roadblock on 101 near Lunar Ridge. We also need to set a curfew over the city. No one should endanger themselves at the hands of a potentially dangerous life form."

"Yes, sir!" agreed the several officers in the room as they set out to perform their tasks.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

"Did you enjoy Frances' birthday party, Helen?"

"I did!"

Eleven-year-old Helen Wesley was being driven home by her parents after visiting her friend Frances for her eleventh birthday party. The two of them were good friends since early elementary school.

Helen's father, Doug Wesley, turned on the radio and tuned it to the classical station. He worked long shifts at Walgreens. So long, in fact, that he even considered asking for a new department so he could spend more time with his wife, Janet, and their daughter Helen.

"Good thing we got your school supplies a couple weeks ago," Janet told Helen. "They've very nearly sold out over the past few days."

"I still can't believe you're already going into sixth grade," Doug spoke. "It felt like just yesterday when you were in first."

"I wonder who my teacher will be this year," Helen said. "Hopefully it's Miss Westerly. She was my favorite teacher ever!" Wendy Westerly was Helen's fifth grade teacher at Oakview Elementary.

Just then a voice interrupted the music, snapping the Wesleys to attention.

"We interrupt this broadcast to give you urgent news from the Station Square Police Department. We have issued a mandatory curfew over all of Station Square on account of an unidentified lifeform roaming the city. It is capable of running at speeds in excess of four hundred miles per hour. I repeat: a mandatory curfew is in effect. If you are indoors, remain indoors. If you are outdoors, head to the nearest building. If you are on the road, head home or to the nearest building immediately. This is a precautionary measure we are taking, as we do not know the full extent of the alien's capabilities. A mandatory curfew is in effect. We will bring you further updates as they become available. We now return you to your regularly scheduled broadcast."

The Wesleys were speechless. There was an _alien_ in their town. Alien actually existed. Whether it was friendly or not remained unclear. While Helen did not watch alien movies, she knew enough about them that they would go after people's brains, or conquer or destroy the world. This alien seemed different, but it was an alien nonetheless.

"It's a good thing we were headed home anyway," Doug finally spoke as they pulled off the freeway.

"An alien..." Janet was still stunned.

"I hope it's not dangerous," Helen said. "I don't want us to lose our city to... an alien..." Even she was incredulous.

"Don't worry, dear," Janet assured her. "We'll protect you if the alien is dangerous." She sighed. "I hope the police will be able to catch it."

"It may take more than the police to wrangle an alien that can run at... four hundred... miles per hour." He paused to make sure what he was saying didn't sound strange coming from him. Of course it was. "It could take the SWAT Team or even GUN to catch it."

"Just hope it's caught fast," Janet said.

Helen was otherwise speechless. She couldn't really say anything when there was an alien on the loose in the city. She yawned. It had been a long day for her.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

This was probably the strangest case police rookie Barney Evans ever responded to.

He and thirteen-year officer Sean Rodham were assigned to travel to the site of the roadblock, which was a good eighteen miles from the station. As Barney climbed into the driver's seat, waited for his partner to get in, and took off.

The next seven or so minutes were quiet, with the only sounds being their own car, the other cars on the freeway, and the occasional broadcast on the police scanner.

Finally Barney broke the thoughtful silence. "You seen anything like this in the thirteen years you've been with the SSPD?"

"Nope. This is totally unique," Sean drawled in his southern accent. "Well, there's a first time for everything."

"Four hundred miles an hour? You gotta be kidding," Barney tried to maintain his composure. "With that speed, you'd think it was some kind of new Japanese bullet train made for the streets."

Sean chuckled. "I can tell you, this ain't no Honda."

Just then their banter was cut short by a clearly audible object landing on the roof of their car.

"That better not be what I think he is," Bobby said, not daring to stop the car, as he was in the left lane.

"Better pull over," Sean instructed as calmly as he could, but before Barney could hit the brakes, the alien leaped down onto the hood of the car. It was indeed hedgehog-like, but it wore articles of clothing: shoes, socks, and gloves. It appeared to have a cocky demeanor to it.

It took Barney only a second to take in the sight. This was just enough time to swing the wheel to the right to avoid bumping the safety barrier in the middle of US Highway 1. As he was doing this, the alien hedgehog waved at him, leaped off the hood, and sped down the highway at an insane speed.

During all this, the car did not completely stop, and Barney was continuing toward the rendezvous point.

"We were only going at sixty-five miles per hour," Barney said, nervously glancing at the dash. "If that's four hundred, he can outrun even the air force."

"Yeah, I knew he'd be fast," Sean replied, "but to see his speed from our viewpoint is frightening."

"If it can outrun Usain Bolt, it can very well outrun anything."

Just then, they heard the sound of a helicopter above them.

"Hope they have better luck than us," Barney wished.

"Knowing them, they probably will," confirmed Sean.

A few minutes later, the scanner gave the cops good news. "This is Chopper 3. Visual contact confirmed. Northbound on 101 near Center Street. Over."

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

The police captain in charge of the roadblock setup watched as the last bulldozer drove into place. This was no ordinary roadblock: there were about a dozen officers, eight police cars, three bulldozers, and even a tractor trailer set up. The overnight construction crews were kind enough to lend the police some of their vehicles to use.

"Think it's gonna be enough?" one officer wondered.

The captain didn't turn around as he surveyed his work. "It _better_ be."

When the bulldozer parked, the police captain turned around. "I thought the alien was coming this way. What's keeping it?"

A second officer was checking his phone for tweets concerning this phenomenal event. "From what I heard, it literally ran up a skyscraper, look around, and leap from building to building. Something King Kong couldn't do," he added with a laugh.

"More like a real live Spider Man," the captain joined in.

The first officer took a sip of his Coke. "You know, if it can scale vertical objects like that, then a blockade like this one ought to be a breeze for him."

"You have a point," considered the captain.

The second officer looked up from his phone. "We made a couple arrests tonight. Some people didn't take the warning seriously."

Suddenly the first officer almost dropped his Coke as he pointed. "Here he comes!"

The captain barely had enough time to turn his head when the inevitable happened. Time seemed to slow down as the blue hedgehog-like alien ran at an incredible speed toward the roadblock. Then it took a leap so high, far and graceful over the roadblock that it would turn gymnasts into green-eyed monsters. Upon landing on the other side of the blockade, the alien continued running without losing speed, and ran down an offramp.

The police captain was agape. He had never seen anything like that in his entire life. Not even a NASCAR race could rival that speed.

When the second officer found his voice, he said, "Forget Spider-Man, we're dealing with the Flash!"

The captain nodded as he pulled out his radio. "Suspect has cleared the block. We're out of options."

"Not quite," the dispatcher said. "I'm relaying your message to the S-Team."

The S-Team. They were Station Square's high-speed police unit. The city had organized their founding years ago because of the city's speeding problems. Since then, the issue was mostly eradicated.

The captain sighed contentedly. _If the S-Team can't catch him_ , he thought, _no one can_.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

He slowly groaned and opened his eyes, grateful that the ringtone he chose was loud and pumping enough to wake him from sleep. He had fallen in love with "Life is a Highway" years back, and had used it as his ringtone ever since.

Turning to the clock by his bed, he saw that the green digital numbers read 3:13 AM. He sighed. Even for an early bird like him, three in the morning was a little soon for him to be up.

He fumbled for his smartphone on the nightstand and picked it up. The only person who could call him at this hour was his job. Turns out, he was right first guess.

Pressing the green button, he sat up and put the phone to his ear.

"Sam here," he spoke groggily.

"I hate to wake you at this hour," the officer at the other end said, "but we've got a unique case on our hands that needs your expertise. Can you be on standby within fifteen minutes?"

"Sooner," Sam answered with confidence.

"Good. We'll brief you when you get here."

"I'll be there before you know it," he answered before hanging up. He yawned before rising from his bed and dressing into his pullover shirt. His suit was at the station, and he knew he could change into it in a little as thirty seconds. It took him lots of practice to do so, but back in the day, he had a lot of opportunities.

Nowadays, there weren't as many opportunities for him to stretch his legs and legally put the pedal to the metal on the freeway. But when they did come, he savored every moment of them.

Living on the second floor of the twenty-four story Lilac Apartment Suites, which was only a mile away from the police station, really had its advantages. This way Sam could run out to his car quickly. He ran down the stairs (he insisted the elevator was too slow) and out the door. He quickly located his car, hopped in, pressed the Start button, and drove off toward the police station.

He planned to get there in record time as he usually did. His name was Speed. Sam Speed. Or rather, the Highway Star… at least for tonight. He was the leader of a seven-person special police unit in Station Square, formally known as the Speed Division. Sam preferred to call it the S-Team.

Four minutes later, Sam pulled into the police station's parking lot. He leaped out of his car and entered through the front door. An officer saw him and smiled.

"On time as usual, I see. Come this way." He ushered Sam to the back room, where Sam sat, ready to be briefed. Three other officers were already there.

"So what's the beef, Chief?" Sam asked.

"Right, so here's the scoop," one of the officers nodded. "There's an alien running through our town at about four hundred miles per hour."

Sam's eyes widened. "Run that past me again."

"The alien in question- Yes, it's literally an alien from another planet. The alien in question resembles a hedgehog. It's maybe three feet tall, has red sneakers and white gloves. It can run in excess of four hundred miles an hour."

"Wait, four hundred miles per- You're kidding, right? H-How can anything living move that fast?" Sam was awed.

"I really don't know. Maybe things are possible on other planets that aren't possible here?" the officer guessed, shrugging.

Sam never believed in aliens. He thought all that stuff was baloney. But if this was true… then he would really need to evaluate his thinking. Maybe aliens really did exist.

"So when do I chase down this alien?" Sam asked.

"Patience," he advised, a trait Sam would never master. "Right now we're just waiting to see if it can clear the roadblock we set up."

Sam's eyebrows raised. "That bad?"

"Afraid so," the officer responded, crossing his arms.

It didn't take a minute before a fourth officer entered the room. "Sir, the alien has effortlessly cleared the roadblock set up. The dispatched officers report they have no further options."

"He cleared the roadblock?" the incredulous officer verified.

"Yes, sir. Vaulted it like Olympian hurdles."

The officer raised an eyebrow before turning to Sam. "Well, looks like this is your cue," he announced, but not before Sam stood up.

"And I'll take it!" he said excitedly as he cracked his knuckles. "Oh, this is great. I've waited eight months too long for action like this."

"Hopefully tonight will have been worth the wait," the officer replied as Sam started toward the stairwell. "The rest of the team's downstairs waiting for you. Go get 'em, Blazemaker!"

"That's so yesterday," Sam called behind him as he opened the stairwell door. "Tonight I'm the Highway Star!"

The officer just shook his head as Sam quickly descended the stairs to the basement, where the Speed Division's garage was located. He pushed opened the door at the bottom of the stairs and found that his six teammates were already there waiting for him.

Hector Dragg was Sam's right-hand man. He had a real last name like Sam, but changed it because he wanted to be just like him. He was the oldest member of the team, and he and Sam had been working together to take down speeding criminals.

Then there was Juan Chaffetz. Like Sam, he too came from the dirt derbies, though he and Sam had yet to race against each other. He had excellent maneuvering skills, and couldn't be beat when it came to hand-eye coordination.

Paul Doyle was the S-Team's mechanic, and he's had years of practice in his department. He didn't head out all that often, though, as he had to stay and help out with George Karlof's training.

George was, needless to say, a mechanic-in-training, as well as the S-Team's newest member. He had really proven his worth both in the garage and on the streets.

Then there was rising star Fred Lester, who went by "Ace". If the Speed Division had a chain of command, he would be number three. Besides Sam, he had one of the lightest and fastest cars of the team. He too has had years of experience with keeping crooks at bay, effortlessly allowing Sam to catch them.

Last but not least was Dawn Winchell, the team's leading lady. She was the team's navigator who was responsible for checking air and road conditions, as well as the satellites and radar. She too didn't usually head out with the others, but when she did, she was a force to be reckoned with. Sam, Hector, Juan, Paul, George, Ace, and Dawn - these seven comprised the Station Square Police Department's Speed Division.

"All right, team, listen up," Sam began. "You've been on standby for a while, I assume. But now it's finally time for action. You know about the alien, right?"

"Yeah," Ace replied. "But we only caught a rumor of it from another cop."

"Okay. This alien is about this tall-" he held his hand up to about his waist- "is blue, and seems to resemble a hedgehog or porcupine. It wears sneakers and gloves, and is capable of running as fast as four hundred miles per hour."

Expressions of shock arose from the S-Team.

"Yeah, I know, I didn't believe in aliens either until tonight. But face it, they're real. This alien is real. We need to take it down."

The Speed Division was founded because there were too many people breaking the speed limit, and even the cop cars weren't fast enough to catch these speeders. In fact, Station Square was the top speeding crime city in America. People would speed in this city because the roads were perfect for it, and they could get away with it, even using cars designed for speed. But after the SSPD founded the Speed Division, due to the team's efficiency and reputation, speeding incidents and the resulting accidents were reduced significantly. Now people were afraid to speed because they knew all about the S-Team. There wasn't another team like it in the entire rest of the United States.

Because the speeding crimes were so low these days, it wasn't often that their status indicator in the front room of the police station changed to green for "Called Out". But when it did, it always sent butterflies to the stomachs of the team members, especially Sam Speed. For him, it meant it was time for another thrilling chase, another opportunity to live out his dream.

While Paul and George checked the vehicles to make sure they were in racing condition, Ace, Juan, and Hector got the fuel and oil ready for the vehicles. Sam stood by Dawn as she checked the computers so that the S-Team could be briefed on the situation outside.

"All good over there?" Sam called.

"All good!" Paul responded before Sam turned back to Dawn. The vehicles were almost ready. All that remained was that Sam choose the tires of the day.

Sam walked up to Dawn, who was standing near a station which displayed a map of the city, as well as a large touchscreen.

"Road temperature?" Sam asked.

"Seventy."

"Humidity?"

"Ten."

"Wind?"

"Calm."

"Road texture?"

"Smooth."

"Okay. Five groove medium soft."

"Coming right up."

As Dawn went off to order the requested tires, Sam ran toward his racing jacket hanging on the wall and proceeded to slip it on in the thirty seconds he bragged about doing it in. He and Dawn went through that routine every time. In fact, they were so good at it that they practically had it down to a science. Sam had to consider all the factors air and road factors during every mission - whether it was hot, cold, windy, calm, humid, dry, the Station Square Speed Division had tires for all these conditions.

Paul, Ace, Juan, and Hector were also set to go on this unique mission, as they too were dressing into their racing jackets. Of course, none of them had the thirty-second bragging rights Sam did. That was his thing, and they respected it.

George and Dawn, on the other hand, were going to stay back at HQ and monitor the road conditions and any potential hazards the S-Team might face, such as road closures and heavy traffic. Tonight, the police had issued a mandatory curfew, so traffic would certainly not be a problem. George and Dawn usually didn't go unless the mission was a dire emergency. Tonight was not so, as Sam believed that this alien was not that kind of threat… yet. If it proved to be more dangerous than he thought, then he would call them out.

Having changed into his racing suit, San ran over and grabbed his helmet and cloth that goes on underneath it. Putting them on, he walked over to his car. To Sam, it was his pride and joy. It never failed to help him take down Station Square's worst speeders.

Sam climbed into his car as the mechanics finished installing the five groove medium soft tires into the cars. Note that they did it in near-record time. In fact, the S-Team tire crew does about as well as the NASCAR pit crews. Simply put, fast is normal for the S-Team.

Hector approached Sam as the latter was buckling up. "Gears five and six are set for freeway speed," he reported.

Sam nodded. "Good."

"Also…" Hector leaned in closer to whisper in Sam's hear, even though he was wearing a helmet. "...your secret fuel tank? I topped it off for you. Bet the higher-ups won't even know."

Sam smirked. "Thanks."

So why was his secret fuel tank forbidden by the police while on the job. Because the fuel was atomic and had a high risk of exploding. Besides, it was too dangerous for highway use. But Sam figured that if Batman could do it, then so could he.

Sam tuned into the police scanner and listened in.

"Car 38 to HQ. Suspect is out of range. Last known location is 101 at Manchester." Manchester Drive was about two miles south of the northern part of the city limits. To Sam, that meant the alien was leaving the city. He knew he shouldn't let that happen.

"He's at 101 and Manchester," Sam radioed his team, now that they were all in their cars. "We'll cut him off at the city limits."

He was greeted with a chorus of "Yes, sirs!" as the team started their engines. What a glorious sound they make, thought Sam. Modified Formula One police cars are the best.

To say the team was pumped was something of an understatement. They had never dealt with anything remotely extraterrestrial before, let alone anything that could go four hundred miles per hour.

As the garage door slowly opened (too slowly in Sam's opinion), Sam went through his usual pre-mission checklist. Gloves on? Check. Helmet on? Check. Fuel tank full? Check. Gears set? Check. Rocket fuel installed? Optional, but check.

Time to release the hounds.

As usual, Sam's car was the first to advance toward the now-open garage door. His car was placed ahead of the other cars, so he would always be the first out. As he started driving, the others followed. First there was Ace, then Juan, then Paul and Hector. The five of them drove single-file through the door and onto a small road to their left.

That road led out to another, more open road - their runway, they called it. It was a stretch of road they used to gather enough speed to access the freeways and expressways crisscrossing Station Square.

Once Sam reached the road, he switched to gear four, floored the gas, and tore off into the night with his team, ready to take down the mysterious speedster from another world.

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

Three miles later, I finally stopped running. It's been fun playing with the cops, seeing what their expectations might be. They even set up a roadblock to test my skills, which I passed with flying colors. You should see the looks on their faces when I vaulted the several trucks they placed in the middle of the road.

Jumping onto the top of a light pole, I decided to consider my situation. This was obviously not my world. If it was, then I would be trapped somewhere in the past. But how on Mobius could Station Square exist here too? The sign I saw before didn't lie. But there was another sign I saw while exploring the city: a Verizon sign that said something about a place called California. Could this "California" be the greater region Station Square is part of?

This Station Square was slightly different than the one I know. For one, the layout is slightly different. There were roads in places I know there weren't. I actually needed to scale a few skyscrapers just to get a bird's-eye view of the city's layout. For another, the climate was slightly warmer, which made me wonder if they got cold winters.

The full moon glowed brightly, which made me wonder if the night sky was still the same. For the most part, it was, though it doesn't take an astronomer to know that some of the star placements looked different.

Now I know for sure that I was transported through space and not time. I know my Chaos Control, and I know it transports their users through space and not time. This would explain how the police did not know me, and yet there was a Station Square. Perhaps this was an alternate universe?

Anyway, Chaos Control. Obviously something completely unprecedented happened to Eggman's Chaos Roboticizer that made it go berserk. Either the doc never tested his machine, or that destroyed E-13 Guardian somehow damaged it. Then again, the machine _was_ pelted with debris. That probably did a number to it. That plus the seven Chaos Emeralds together spelled disaster. I've dealt with Chaos Control before - *coughShadowcough* - but Chaos Control has never occurred on a scale that massive before, at least not since Space Station ARK.

And that's how I got transported here. Am I here on this world alone? Could the others also be here as well? If I woke up alone somewhere, chances are Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Cream are here somewhere as well. Then my eyes widened: if they're here, chances are good Eggman and his minions are here too. That's when I silently vowed to protect this world from him should he attack, even if I did it alone.

But what if my friends were here? I know Knuckles can take care of himself. Tails and Amy can to to an extent. But Cream is just a kid. She can't take care of herself like the others can...

But before I could further ponder my situation, I became aware of the sound of motors behind me. Turning around, I saw what appeared to be five racecars with flashing lights. Strangely, they were some of the first traffic I've seen since landing here. They all stopped in front of the light pole I was sitting on. I figured it was a special branch of police. I jumped down from the pole as the hatch of the lead car opened. Out stepped a man dressed in a racing jacket.

"Hey," he said, removing his helmet, "thanks for giving us a reason to come out here tonight."

I shrugged. What a strange thing to say. But if he's a police officer, wouldn't he try to catch me now?

The hatches of the other cars opened, and the drivers climbed out. "You're under arrest for breaking the speed limit!" one of them shouted.

"Stand down, team!" the man held up his hand. "This is a special case. I want to talk to this one."

He turned back to me and leaned on his car. "I don't know if you understand English, but I wanna let you know you've made my night. You're actually the second arrest we've had this year. Now I'm sure you're wondering who the first is. Want to know what happened? Some nutjob thought Highway 101 is a great place to speed, since it's so straight. The guy had his own Formula One car and everything. Now I'm pretty sure those things are illegal for recreational use. But thanks to us, we took him down in two minutes. _Two. Minutes._ That's not even enough time to heat a frozen pizza." He chuckled at the memory. "I managed to outrun a Formula One in just _two_ minutes. That's fast, don't you think?"

I wasn't sure what to think. It was kinda strange that a guy I've never met before suddenly starts tooting his own horn. But what's even stranger was that his demeanor was almost like mine, but more arrogant.

"Imagine going eight months without a real job," the guy said. "Which is why I want to congratulate you for having me come out tonight. I need the speed."

Now I had a feeling I would like this guy.

I was a little surprised when he offered his hand to me to shake. Doesn't he know that I'm an alien to this world? Nevertheless, I accepted the handshake.

"I gotta admit, you're fast, but let me tell you this before you go anywhere. There can be only one fast person in Station Square. And that person is me. You can call me the Highway Star. And this is the Station Square Police Department High-Speed Crime Division, or S-Team for short."

I smirked. The arrogance is rearing its head again.

Sam gave a rather loud exhale. "Well," he said, "this was really a long introduction. But you know what? I don't do long."

He slipped his helmet on and started to climb back into his car.

"I do _fast_."

With one downward hand wave, he signaled the other S-Team members to chase me down. Four engines revved, and four sets of tires squealed as their drivers sped toward me with one goal in their minds:

Arrest me and make this Highway Star person the fastest thing in Station Square.

 _You're on_ , I thought as I took off running.

So far, this chase was kinda disappointing on my end, since they were barely matching my speed of two hundred miles per hour, which is a leisurely speed for me. They may say the S-Team stands for the Speed Team, but in my book, the S stands for Slow-Motion! To prove my point, I thought, _Hey, why not show then a few tricks?_

 **"Suspect is at four hundred feet and gaining," reported Paul.**

One of those tricks was to run laps around one of their cars. Great fun, if not dizzying. Then again, I'm Sonic. I've been in places where up is down and false is true. Oh yeah, the bold is for you readers to know what's going on in the cockpits of the Slow-Motion Team. Heh, that has a nice ring to it.

 **"Suspect is making laps around me!" said a frantic Paul.**

 **"Boost rear flaps to twenty degrees," instructed Hector.**

 **The drivers did as they were told and adjusted the wings accordingly. Soon, four sets of rear flaps clicked into place, lowering the wind resistance and allowing the drivers to move faster.  
**

 **"Lanes are narrowing to three in half a mile," warned George over the radio.**

 **"Roger that," Hector responded.**

 **"Suspect at 300," Ace reported as he accelerated.**

 **"Prepare Square Formation," instructed Hector. "Juan, you're up front. I'll take the back." A chorus of "Roger!"s was the response.  
**

 **As the drivers were moving into position, the full effect of the flaps kicked in, allowing the drivers to achieve a maximum speed of 250 miles per hour for the angles the flaps were bent at.**

I hope you readers aren't getting too bored listening to the S-Team's radio conversations. At this point, I reconsidered the S-Team being slow. I gotta admit, they're fast. But this is only 250 miles an hour. They haven't seen a _thing_ I can do.

So just as I was about to crank up my speed a notch, they beat me to it. One of the cars drove ahead of me. _What's its game?_ I wondered. I found out quickly enough, though, as it positioned itself directly in front of me. Interesting tactic, I must say. Two of the other cars we soon at either side of me, and the last was directly behind me.

So here I was, boxed in by four Formula One police cars. But that's not all. An antenna popped out of the top of each one, and the square was complete as an electric barrier connected the antennas. What, they think I can't get out of _this_?

Assumably, the electricity would keep the S-Team's suspects from escaping once their vehicle stopped, but this is Sonic the Hedgehog they're dealing with. So with one great leap, I escaped the square and landed on the car on my left, narrowly missing the electric barrier. Let's hear their reactions, shall we?

 **"Suspect is on my vehicle!" Ace reported, a little frantic.**

 **"Don't panic," Paul advised before looking at his mini-map. "We're leaving the city limits now."**

 **"Take the exit at Tingalin Villa Drive," Dawn instructed.**

 **"Roger," Hector responded. To his team, he said "Everyone, we're taking the exit at Tingalin Villa. Single file, everyone, single file. Paul, move behind Ace.**

 **"Roger."**

 **A new voice cracked over the radio. "Sam to Hector. How goes the chase?"**

 **Hector was pleased Sam used his real name instead of one of his many nicknames, because this was professional duty, and it would have thrown everyone off.**

 **"Suspect is hitchhiking on Ace's vehicle. Awaiting orders."**

 **"Keep doing what you're doing. I'm coming."**

 **"Roger that. Over and out."**

 **Actually, Sam had more to say. He was ranting about how he was the fastest in Station Square, and that all others fall underneath him. But Hector wasn't listening. He was too busy staring at the alien that just landed on his vehicle.**

Hitchhiking is fun. It's a great way to preserve energy while still moving. But there's no way I would advise it to you readers. Sonic Says: Don't stand on moving vehicles, don't hitchhike, and especially don't use Formula One police cars to chase hedgehogs that can move faster than them anyway!

In fifteen seconds, the cars moved onto another road. Time to hit the road again.

As soon as my feet hit the asphalt, I took off running, faster than before. Let's see the S-Team try to catch me now.

 **Hector was more than prepared when the alien ran off again. "Boost rear flaps to 25 degrees and all other flaps to five degrees!"**

 **The drivers did as they were told and adjusted the flaps.**

 **"Full throttle!" was Hector's next command.**

 **All four drivers put the pedal to the metal. However, it _still_ wasn't quite enough. Not even their maximum speed of three hundred miles per hour could make them gain much ground. But at least the alien was still in sight.**

 **Then the alien made a surprise move that shocked Ace.  
**

 **"Uhh... You're not gonna believe this, but the suspect is literally running backwards at 300 mph."**

And you thought hitchhiking was dangerous. I think I just took danger to a whole new level. I just love showing off my talents to an all-new crowd, don't you?

 **"He's _playing_ with us!" exclaimed an incredulous Paul.**

 **"Just what is this alien?" Ace added.**

 **"Whatever it is, it's superhuman," Juan said.**

 **"Hector to Sam, we have a situation."**

 **"Noted. Suspect within half a mile and gaining. ETA 30 seconds."**

Escaping the law is a no-go, but this is something I didn't commit. These guys are after me just because I'm different. But no matter. If I'm gonna be here a while, they're gonna get good and used to me by the time I get home.

Just then I heard a whirring sound above me. Looking up, I caught sight of a news helicopter, and waved to the camera. At least this is way better than those kiss cams they have at sporting events back on my world... Yuck.

Okay, just _one_ more quick jump into third-person, and then it's all me. Just hand in there, readers. I'll get out of this somehow. I always do.

 **"The Highway Star is here!" Sam announced on radio to his team. "Open the center lane. I want to go at him one-on-one."**

 **"Roger that, Speed Leader."**

 **Sam was about to correct them, saying that he was the Highway Star, but this was official duty, so he wisely held it back.**

 **The cars moved to either side of the center lane, clearing it. Sam floored the gas and passed the rest of his team. He gained speed so quickly that he went from 200 to 300 in just fifteen seconds. He would pull off all the stops if he wanted to out-speed and detain this alien hedgehog.**

 **But the alien quickly noticed him and ran faster before Sam could pass him. "Not on _my_ streets, hedgehog," Sam muttered to himself as he reached for a certain lever - the lever that activated the forbidden fuel tank. It was atomic, the reason the authorities banned it. However, they _did_ say only use it in a dire emergency. Yeah, this was an emergency all right.**

 **He pulled the lever, and the car roared to skin-rippling speeds of 400 miles per hour. Good thing the hatch was down, his seatbelt was on, and he was wearing a helmet.**

 **Now that he was traveling confidently faster than the alien, he believed he had the upper hand.**

Yeah, racing against Overlanders is really cool. I haven't actually done this back home. (I would have gone off-road already, but I'm enjoying this too much.) But sometimes it's the moments that your competition one-ups you that makes you feel like you're doing a real challenge.

Now was one of those times. This Highway Star guy (Sam Speed, I thought his name was) somehow just drove faster than me and passed me seemingly without explanation. I mean, how did that happen? Aren't I the fastest thing alive? Then again, Shadow and Metal Sonic are pretty fast, too, but come on, this is just plain edgy.

Next thing I know, the guy's trying to cut me off. I don't know what his game is, but I think he's trying to trip me up or something. Way past uncool.

 _Then_ he activated a bullhorn that blared from his car. The noise was so loud an unexpected that I almost fell behind.

"You will never be faster than me, hedgehog!" Sam screamed into the bullhorn. "It'll take a sonic boom for anyone to ever be faster than _me_ on _my_ highway!"

I smirked. Now he's talking my language.

"One sonic boom, coming right up!" I announced, even though I knew he couldn't hear me over the sound of his motor. I took a deep breath, braced myself, and shot forward at speeds in excess of 760 miles per hour. The resulting sonic boom was music to my ears.

* * *

 **Sam's POV.**

I couldn't believe what I had just experienced.

No creature I had ever seen, whether in reality or in fiction, should be able to achieve mach speed. It's... Actually, it should be against the laws of physics.

I practically _had_ him. I was just about to launch a tranquilizing dart from my car (something I keep for emergencies), when suddenly, it darts off at _the speed of sound_.

I don't think anything has ever achieved _that_ speed on the ground. It was absolutely phenomenal. And when anything achieves the speed of sound, and sonic boom occurs.

The moment the alien hedgehog took off, a tremendous boom cracked my ultra-durable windshield. Nothing has ever done that before. Now I know why he calls himself Sonic.

I was too scared to do anything. I would have stopped the car right them, but it is pretty hard to stop on a dime at max speed.

"Chief!" Dawn's voice came over the radio, breaking into my thoughts. "Construction zone in two miles! Road's closed ahead."

"Roger."

I let out a frustrated sigh. No way would I catch him now. I slammed on the brakes, while simultaneously pressing a button that activated a pair of parachutes. A full thirty seconds later, my car finally stopped. I just sat there, panting as the adrenalin wore off.

"You've stopped," noted a concerned George. "What's the situation?"

I didn't want to say what I was about to say, but my ego was shot. "I... lost him."

"Roger. Relaying to the SSPD."

Even under the strain of the S-Team's first failed mission, George's voice was amazingly calm, even for a rookie. I was anything but. Opening the cracked hatch of my car, I stepped out, removed my helmet, and threw it on the ground in frustration. "A sonic boom. You gotta be kidding me."

My four teammates had finally arrived. They stopped their vehicle, climbed out, and removed their helmets as well.

"You all saw that, right?" I asked.

"No, we were too far back," Juan answered.

I sighed again. My adrenalin still hadn't worn off yet.

"Hey, don't be down, Chief," Hector tried to comfort me. "I'm sure there'll be other opportunities to catch this alien."

"I know, Hector, but this is my first failed mission as the Speed Division leader. What'll the commissioner say?"

"Relax," Paul said. "This situation was well out of our hands from the beginning."

"Even if I do have to explain myself, he won't believe me if tell him that he made a _sonic boom_. While _running_. On _foot_. That's over _seven hundred and fifty miles per hour_!"

"Yikes," was all Ace could say.

"Hector's right," Paul continued. "There will be more opportunities to catch this alien hedgehog, as long as it remains out in the open like it was tonight."

The only sound penetrating the silence was the sound of construction vehicles working on Tingalin Villa Drive between Highway 101 and Interstate 5. I was think over what all had transpired in the last hour. This was my biggest case, my biggest chase, and perhaps my biggest blunder. I hoped the authorities wouldn't be too mad at me.

Just then George's voice came back over the radio. "SSPD says abort the mission and return to HQ. I repeat: Abort and return to HQ."

"Let's go, boys," I said as calmly as I could. It was time to face the music.

As I slipped my helmet back on and closed the hatch, I had only one thing in my mind.

 _Rematch._

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

That. Was. Awesome!

I only ran at mach speed for ten seconds before slowing down right near the construction site. I was careful to avoid being seen by the workers; I really didn't want to know their reaction to seeing a Mobian on this planet. Actually, their reactions would have been priceless, but I didn't want to deal with the consequences of that.

I darted away from the construction site, away from the workers, away from civilization. I wanted to see what the rest of this world was like.

Anyway, that was the best race I had ever run. It was definitely better that the race with Metal Sonic, which was really a time crunch, and the escape from the GUN Truck in Central City back home. The Overlanders here really know how to make the fastest thing alive feel welcome.

I soon passed through a wind farm. There were wind turbines everywhere, and as I ran past them, they began spinning rather quickly There was also a cliff right there, and I decided to take a flying leap off of it to get a bird's eye view of the city below.

And what a beautiful city it was. I had forgotten just how beautiful its neon signs and lights were at night. If the Highway Star lived here, then there would certainly be good times all around for as long as I was there. This town felt very much like the Overlanders' neck of the woods on Mobius. It looked like this planet felt sort of closer to home than I thought.

I still couldn't figure out why Station Square is in this world as well. I know for sure that Perfect Chaos destroyed it back on Mobius, but why is it intact here?

Then I realized, there was just a little bad news about free-sailing through the air.

Actually, really big bad news!

You tend to have little control of your speed or direction.

My destination was a prominent neighborhood in the city.

And that prominent neighborhood had a prominent house.

And that prominent house had a prominent pool.

And that prominent pool threatened to abduct me and drown me in all its H2O-ness.

Now I have no idea how Knuckles does it, but I can't glide like he can. I found this out when I tried to control where I would land. I've hated water for as long as I can remember. I have nothing against it; it's that I just sink like a rock whenever I try to enter it. And I can't swim, so there's that, too.

Taking a deep breath, I braced myself for my inevitable watery doom. I landed in the water with such force that I hit the bottom almost immediately. I imagined there would be a giant splash associated with it, but I was too busy trying to think of a way to get out of this dark, cold pool.

I tried running. Nope. Didn't work. I tried a giant leap. Repeat performance.

Then I saw it: a ladder on the side of the pool. That would have been my only way out of the pool, but I was running out of air and energy.

As I felt a fiery sensation in my lungs, I began wondering: Would someone come and rescue me from this awful fate? Or would I silently drown on a familiar, yet alien, world?

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

I was suddenly jolted awake by a loud noise. I don't know how long I had been asleep, but I do know that I'm kind of a light sleeper.

I glanced at the clock. 3:57 AM. Our security was good enough that we don't need a night watch, so what could possibly have made that noise?

Just then, I became aware of something else. The noise didn't just stop. It was still going on. It was almost like a rushing sound, something that sounded just like-

No. It couldn't be. But I had to make sure I wasn't still dreaming. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I pulled back the covers and stepped out of bed. The first thing I noticed was that the water was landing back into the adult pool. Obviously something large had landed in there. So I strained to see just what could have landed in the pool. And I saw it: an animal had landed in the pool, and it couldn't climb out. It would drown if no one saved it!

Not stopping to dress, I bolted from my room and into the hall. My family would hear if I continued running down the hall, so I tiptoed as quickly and quietly as I could, past Ella's room, past Tanaka's room, past the spare rooms, until I finally reached the stairs.

There was one thing wrong with this plan, though. My mom had make a rule that I was never allowed to swim in the adult pool without supervision, nor was I supposed to swim at night. But I couldn't just let that creature die. Rule or no rule, I _had_ to save it. It would be cruel not to.

Once I reached the bottom of the stairs, I made a beeline for the back door, the only thing between me and the pool. Once I arrived, I unlatched the sliding door and pushed it open. Upon reaching the edge of the pool, I could see a dark shape in the water - the creature. I took a deep breath before diving into the water.

The water was cold, but it was to be expected. I hadn't really braced myself for a midnight swim, and besides, it was nighttime. And because it was nighttime, the water was dark. Fortunately, my way was illuminated by the patio light that automatically turned on when I ran outside.

Now that I was in the water, I was able to see the creature. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. It startled me a little when I saw it, but since I am a mega fan of Star Wars and Doctor Who, It sort of didn't scare me. In fact, I figured it wouldn't really surprise me if I actually encountered an alien some day. It was anth- anthro- Well, that's a word I have yet to memorize, but it had human-like features.

I reached for the creature's hand, and was relieved when it began cooperating as I pulled it back to the surface. It was _heavy_ , surprisingly so (I later learned it weighed about 77 pounds).

A few seconds later, we broke the surface. I filled my lungs with fresh evening air, climbed out of the pool, and pulled the alien to safety. Once we were safely out of the pool, the alien collapsed and coughed violently. I was concerned it could have swallowed half the pool. I patted its back.

"Are you okay?" I compassionately asked, though I was still wary of it at first. It was an _alien_ , and I knew very well what some aliens were capable of doing. Just then it replied in a masculine teen-sounding voice.

"Yeah. Could've been worse."

I was taken aback. "Y-you can talk?"

"Yeah, naturally," the alien replied, now sounding much better.

My mouth began moving almost on autopilot before I could stop it. "I... I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. I've seen some pretty strange things on a couple of sci-fi shows I watch."

"Interesting."

I realized, I was forgetting my manners! "My name's Christopher Thorndyke," I introduced, "but everyone calls me Chris. What's your name?"

The alien started to stand up. He came to a few inches over my waist. I figured he was about three feet and three inches. He wore practically nothing but shoes, socks, and gloves. And yet it looked natural for him. He looked awesome.

"My name's Sonic," he spoke in an almost heroic tone. "Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"Cool name!" I remarked. Then something else crossed my mind. "Do you, you know... have a place to stay?"

Sonic shook his head. "I only just got here, so I can't say that I do."

"Then..." I can't believe what I was about to say. "...what if you stayed here at my house? We'll make sure to take good care of you, and even maybe find a way to get you back to where you belong."

"Sure thing, Chris. That would be cool."

"Under one condition, though."

"And what's that?"

"Please make sure no one else sees you."

Sonic smirked. Not a condescending smirk, but more so a playful one. "Don't fret, Chris. I run at the speed of sound. Good luck to those trying to find me."

I tried to process that statement. "You can run at the speed of sound."

Sonic nodded. "Yep. The fastest thing alive, they call me. Of course, I can't demonstrate now; I had a late night running from the cops."

"Because you were alien?"

"Yeah. Of course, none of them could catch me. One of them almost did, though."

I nodded. I had a feeling I knew who that person was.

"Uh, Sonic? We should probably keep our voices low. My folks are still sleeping."

"Oh, okay."

Sonic walked around, looking over the house. His smile told me he really liked it.

"You _live_ here?" he breathed with awe.

"Yeah. Isn't it awesome?"

"Way past cool, Chris!" he spoke almost too loudly, while giving me a wink and a thumbs-up. "Thanks for letting me stay."

"You're welcome, Sonic."

I looked to the pool. The water was almost completely settled. "How did you get here?"

"I accidentally ran off a cliff at just under the speed of sound."

"No, I mean, how did you get on this planet?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you all about it once I meet up with my friends," Sonic replied.

Sonic... had friends? I assumed they were similar to him, but... If Sonic had friends, I would have a really hard time keeping them secret from my family.

"You have friends?"

"Sure I do! I'll tell you about them in the morning, if you don't mind. Right now, I'm getting tired, and I don't want to keep you in your wet clothes longer than you have been already."

I smiled. I didn't even know Sonic for ten minutes, and already it seemed he was a great guy to be with.

"Yeah, sorry I can't get you a towel right now," I apologized. "I don't want to wake my folks up, and... and I can't just tell them that an alien landed in the pool."

Sonic nodded in understanding. "I can manage," he said. I hoped he would. He clearly didn't look like he could swim back there.

"You know something, Chris?"

"Hm?"

"This is going to be the first day of the biggest adventure of your life. Are you ready?"

I beamed. I was so excited I could have shouted my agreement. "Yes," I forced my voice to a whisper. "I'm ready." Turning back to the house, I made a proposition. "Want me to sneak you to my room?"

"No need," Sonic replied. "I'll sleep on the roof. Nothing I haven't done before." I was confused. Surely a roof would be uncomfortable to sleep on.

"Besides," Sonic said, "You're concerned about the public seeing me?"

Now it was my turn to nod in agreement. No one would think to look on the roof for an alien hedgehog who claimed to run at the speed of sound.

"If you say so," I responded. I watched with awe as Sonic took one mighty leap and skillfully landed on the sloped roof. Quickly finding a place to recline, he lay down.

"See you tomorrow?" I asked.

"Definitely," he answered.

"Okay, then. Good night, Sonic."

"Good night, Chris."

As I re-entered the house (I made sure to lock the sliding door first), I was filled with great ecstasy. My wish came true. I could have run back to my room, but it was still nighttime.

I took a quick listen for any signs of anyone up. The house was still quiet. Good. It was a wonder no one else had woken up. I mean, giant splash? Seriously, no one else woke up. I guess you could say luck was on my side. Either that, or I was a light sleeper. Probably the latter one of those.

I started back upstairs, making sure to tiptoe. My clothes still felt cold and stiff on me - definitely an uncomfortable feeling. I would change out of them as soon as got back to my room.

Past the guests rooms, past Tanaka's room, past Ella's room. At last I returned to my room. My bed awaited me. But I couldn't accept its invitation quite yet. I needed to get out of these wet pajamas. Fortunately, I had a pair of identical PJs. So I locked the door, took the pajamas, and changed out of my wet pajamas and into the fresh, clean, dry ones. Already I felt much cozier.

But what to do with the wet ones? I decided to stuff them under my bed for the night. I made a mental reminder to put them in the hamper the next morning. Already there had been too much noise this night.

Before I hit the hay, I took one more look out at the moonlit patio. I knew Sonic was sleeping right above my room. I smiled as I crawled into bed. I knew it was no use trying to sleep that night, but I needed to. School would start Monday. There would be plenty of opportunity to talk with Sonic tomorrow.

I closed my eyes and started counting sheep. Soon I drifted off to sleep, completely happy. My wish had come true. This was undoubtedly the beginning of a blooming friendship.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there you have it, readers! The first chapter of many in this rewrite of Sonic X! Not to brag, but I think this might be the longest (in chapter length), most accurate (to reality), and one of the best Sonic X rewrites out there! Now I know that many Sonic fans are critical of Chris, but I tried to redefine his personality. You should see this come to light in the coming chapters.

Some major differences include the following:

 _-There was no backstory, no explanation as to how Eggman had the Chaos Emerald. It was also never revealed how he captured Cream and Cheese or what his invention was for. Also, I added Bokkun to the scene, and what of Rouge? Well, she'll appear in one of the future chapters! (I'm sure longtime Sonic X fans know which one.)_

 _-Badniks!_

 _-Also, why was Tails so excited when Knuckles showed up? I had to give an explanation for that. Additionally, I didn't want Tails, Amy and Knuckles to be useless characters, so I added them to the battle._

 _-Since this is a post-Forces rewrite (possibly the only one out there), the events of Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 already happened. So the Chaos Control event in this episode has never happened on a scale like this without Super Sonic present._

 _-An all-new scene introducing the readers to Chris and his family was added._

 _-The police are now much more mature._

 _-Helen!_

 _-The S-Team is now more official-sounding, and all the drivers have names._

 _-An explanation was given as to why Sam didn't arrest Sonic immediately._

 _-Sam now actually has reactions to the sonic boom! (Not the animated series, tho :P)_

 _-The scene in which Chris and Sonic meet now has more length and meaning._

Well, I think that about wraps up this chapter. Wow, was it long. Over four times as long as my longest chapter (SMB:TNC Chapter 6). There will not be a set update schedule, but I hope to get the "Sonic to the Rescue" rewrite up some time next month!

I'm hoping to get not just rave reviews, as any good fanfiction writer strives for, but also constructive criticism. Help this story to become great! I want to know any weaknesses you see that I don't, and I'll correct them.

Until next time, everybody, do the Mario!

...wait, wrong fanfiction. :D


	2. Big Brother

_Area 99 - Infiltrate the Government Headquarters‼_

 ** **Note (2/15/20): In a few months, this chapter will be updated to reflect my current writing style, as well as fix some errors.****

 **A/N:** Welcome to Chapter 2! This is a rewrite of "Sonic to the Rescue", which is slightly heavier than the last chapter. The chapter name "Big Brother" is a double entendre. It can mean Sonic being a big brother to Chris, but it can also be the nickname given to the government.

Also, after only 125 views, I had nine follows, five favorites, and three reviews! Thank you to everyone who read and enjoyed this story!

Random thing: I imagine Station Square just north of Los Angeles, right near where Highway 101 is the closest to the Pacific Ocean.

Another random thing: I never saw the Metarex saga (STRANGE, ISN'T IT?!), but I'm preparing myself for it. I'm not really the biggest Cosmo fan, but I'd ship Tails with her over Cream. I'm looking forward to episodes like "A Revolutionary Tale" and "Teasing Time".

Also, my brother started cringewatching Sonic X (yes, _cringewatching_ ; it's like bingewatching but you're cringing the whole time), but finally had to stop after Episode 16, "Depths of Danger". Now even the mention of Sonic is too much for him. Poor guy. :)

Anyway, here's my rewrite of "Sonic to the Rescue"!

* * *

 _ **GuardianDragon98**_

 _Oh wow, this is awesome. Can't wait to see Sonic X in a new light._

 **And you shall. This is a long-awaited update to Sonic X, done correctly. There are other Sonic X rewrites, but none are as long or accurate as this one! Wait, I think my bragging meter went up to 11.**

 _ **Anti-Mage**_

 _Pretty great story. Can't wait for the next chapter, but gotta ask, are you not including the avatar? I didn't see a statement about it, and I would like to know. I'm not asking for you to add him, that's your choice, and I will respect your decision._

 **Thanks! And no, unfortunately, the avatar, Gadget, whoever he's called, won't appear. He's too varying a character, and I don't see him working in this story. Classic Sonic won't appear either, though.**

 _ **PhD Flopper**_

 _Holy crap, great job on this! A sonic x rewrite that's post sonic forces?! It's a nice change of pace around here I think. Hopefully we'll see Chris act more wary of this "alien" because that's the most rational to do but I can see his initial excitement. Wonder how he'll bring sonic up to his family. Now excuse me while I do the Mario!_

 **Post-Forces Sonic X has never been done before, so brownie points for me! :D And yes, Chris will act wary of Sonic in this chapter. Could this be... character development? Also, Chris brought up Sonic and his friends to his family in "Party Hardly" *cringe title name cringe*, expect a similar situation in Chapter 7, but extended. *proceeds to join you in doing the Mario*  
**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I do not own any elements in this story except for my own characters. Sonic the Hedgehog is owned by SEGA, who does not endorse or affiliate itself with this work of fiction. Real world locations and organizations are used fictitiously. Real world people will be mentioned, but will not appear, in order to adhere with "Entries not allowed" Rule 4._

Gotta go faster, faster, faster, faster SONIC X!

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

Morning couldn't come fast enough. Or so I would have thought, had I not finally fallen asleep at around 5:30 AM. I was simply too excited. Having an alien fall into your pool would probably freak you out, but when I spoke with it, that's when everything changed.

I woke up as usual at eight in the morning. I was a little tired, which was to be expected when you've only gotten about seven hours of sleep. This was all on account of sheer excitement, comparable to Christmas morning. My wish had come true.

But there was one question still in my mind: Could Sonic really become my friend? Sure, he seemed to be friendly enough, but there was also a cocky demeanor to him, as if he was confident. He was also... _unique_. I mean, how many people can claim to run at the speed of sound?

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and climbed out of bed. Then I remembered: the wet pajamas under my bed. Reaching down, I picked up the now-stiff PJs. They were only slightly wet, but I figured they would dry quickly, and Ella wouldn't know the difference.

I left my room and headed into the bathroom. Locking the door behind me, I immediately put the previously pool-soaked pajamas in the hamper before preparing to brush my teeth. Pool-soaked. Then I remembered Mom's rules.

Mom had said I was not allowed to swim at night under any circumstances, or swim without one of my guardians present. I had broken both rules. How could I possibly make this up to Mom? I knew that she didn't know, but as she's my mom, I knew she would eventually find out how. I needed to apologize at the next opportunity.

Minutes later, I finished brushing my teeth, washing my face, and doing my other morning duties. As I headed back to my room to change, I realized that it would be very difficult to apologize this time. I should just 'fess up. Nothing to it, right? Normally, that would be the case. But here we're dealing with an alien that could have drowned, and I couldn't just tell my mom that an alien fell in the pool. No way would she buy my story.

But _then_... then I thought of the prefect explanation. Why had I not thought of it before? I decided to put my plan into action the next time Mom called. But for now, it's time to start my day.

No wait... if Sonic was resting right above my room, why not say hi?

I picked up my iPhone 7 which was lying on the nightstand. I had received it for my tenth birthday, and it was one of my favorite birthday gifts ever. Since then, I had taken great care of it. Some of my favorite mobile games include Angry Birds and Candy Crush.

Anyway, I had pocketed my iPhone and opened the door to the balcony. Having a balcony right off my bedroom is pretty awesome. I looked up at the roof, and sure enough, there was the blue alien hedgehog reclining there.

"Good morning, Sonic," I greeted. "Did you sleep well?"

Sonic looked down at me. "Pretty well, all things considered."

I looked down at the vacant adult pool beneath the balcony. "You miss your home world, don't you?"

Sonic did a half-shrug. "A little. Could be worse." But I knew that, deep down, he missed his home planet. I wanted to help him safely get back home.

But how?

Just as I was about to ask how I could help him, my phone rang. I removed it from my pocket and saw who the caller was.

"It's Mom," I said to no one in particular. Time to face the music.

I pressed to button to answer the phone and held it up to my hear. "Hi, Mom!"

"Hello, Chris! It's so good to hear your voice again!" Mom replied. "I called to tell you I have good news and bad news."

Uh-oh.

"What's the bad news?" I asked, even though I had a feeling I knew what it was.

"You know my movie _Valencia_ I'm shooting here in England? Well, we had a bit of a setback. A freak weather system dumped inches of rain on and off for the past four days. The weathermen say it won't let up until maybe Monday. Our outdoor shoots have been delayed as a result."

"Does this mean your coming is delayed as well?" I asked, hoping this was not the case.

"I'm sorry, dear," Mom replied regretfully. "Reschedule for next Friday?"

"...Yeah," I replied.

I was devastated again. Just last night, Dad said he couldn't come until later, and now Mom also had to be delayed. Sure, I put up with this for years, but life is just so unfair!

"On the bright side," Lindsey continued, "I've been able to spend this time to do a little shopping. I got you lots of gifts, including your favorite cotton candy." Chris beamed. "They'll arrive in two days' time by air."

"Thanks, Mom!"

Now was the moment of truth. Now was the time to apologize. I took a deep breath.

"Mom... I want to apologize for something I did last night."

Lindsey paused for a moment. I took it she was surprised. "Chris... what did you do?"

"I... was in the adult pool by myself last night."

Lindsey was quiet for a moment. I didn't know if this was a good thing or not, but it could mean trouble. Mom loves me very much, but what she says goes.

"Thank you for your honesty, Chris," Mom finally answered. "But whatever gave you the idea to swim at night?"

Now I knew I had to choose my words carefully. One small slip-up could result in disaster.

Speaking of disaster, Mr. Tanaka arrived to place my breakfast on the table outside. What's so bad about that? Well, for one thing, Ella knows I come down for breakfast first thing in the morning. She could get suspicious. For another, with Tanaka right there, I couldn't go on with my explanation, or he night get suspicious.

Fortunately, Tanaka left as quickly as he arrived. But this did not alleviate Mom's impatience.

"Chris? Are you still there?"

"Yeah, I was just... distracted. So, I woke up in the middle of the night just before I heard a splash in the pool. I looked out the window, and saw that it was a cat." I threw a nervous glance up at Sonic, who cringed a little.

"And you got it out," Mom finished the story.

"Yeah."

"Chris... you have a big heart, but next time, please call for Tanaka, and he can take care of things, okay?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Oh, hold on a minute," Lindsey said suddenly. After a moment's pause, she returned. "Dear, I must run. There was a change of plans, and the director needs me for an indoor scene right away. Kiss kiss," she said affectionately, and we made kissing sounds over the receiver; something we had done since I was little.

After Mom hung up, I sighed with relief. That was a close one. I know Sonic is, in no way, a cat, but I couldn't just not tell her; she would eventually find out. Hopefully my little story went well with her.

Actually, I should be thinking the same about Sonic, for he leaped down onto the railing next to me. He looked slightly irritated.

"Chris, that 'cat' you mentioned. That's me, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, sorry about that," I apologized, feeling a little guilty, "but Mom wouldn't understand if I told her I rescued a hedgehog, let alone one like you."

Sonic nodded. "This confirms my thoughts."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, last night, when I was on the run from the cops, they called me an alien. I took it they never saw anyone like me on this planet before. I guess I really am an alien here."

"That's fascinating," I replied. But what the blue hedgehog said next blew me away.

"You know what else is fascinating? They've got Overlanders on my world, too."

I was confused by what he just said. "What are Overlanders?"

"Your species are Overlanders. Back home, they know me well, though we tend to go our separate ways."

"Huh," I replied. "So, basically, Overlanders are humans. Gotcha."

The phone rang again. Checking the caller, I saw that it was Dad. Oh no. The situation over there couldn't get much worse.

"Brace yourself for misunderstandings and explanations," I warned the hedgehog before taking the call.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Son!" Dad spoke. "You mom just called and told me about your emergency rescue last night."

I too needed to brace myself. The danger of Sonic's exposure was far from over.

"I'm proud of you, Chris," he continued, "but what you did was dangerous. This is exactly why we enforced the pool rules."

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Dad," I apologized. "It won't happen again."

"I hope not," Dad responded. "Y'know, if a stray cat can so easily enter the premises without so much as setting off the alarm, then I'll need to improve the security system."

No stray animal could enter our property, not with the fences and tall hedges. But I knew that Sonic had most likely fallen into the pool from directly above. He _did_ say, after all, that he ran off a cliff at just under the speed of sound. That would account for his breaking and entering.

"Yeah, it _could_ use an upgrade," I lied.

"Then I'll put that on my to-do list," Nelson reminded himself. "Did the cat attack you during your rescue?"

I didn't even need to look to sense a heavy cringe come from Sonic. "Uh, no Dad. It ran off as soon as it touched dry ground."

"Once again, Chris, you are very brave, but you really should tell your guardians about it next time something like that happens," Dad nearly echoed Mom's words. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Oh, did you hear about the alien in Station Square last night?"

That hot me like a bombshell. I nearly paled. I didn't count on Sonic making such a big splash into the world, and I'm not talking about the pool. Social media. Why didn't I think of that. By now, he'd be all over the news.

"H-How do you know about it?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice level.

"It's trending on The Daily Mail. You haven't checked the news yet, have you?"

"No," I replied. I decided to turn the news on as soon as I went inside.

"Again, I'm sorry I'm not able to come. This new hard drive we're working on is pretty complex, and needs my personal supervision. Plus, we've got a tight deadline to meet. I will try to work things out with your mother so we can both come home in time for Matt's arrival."

"Matt's finished college already?" I asked. "I can't wait to see him again!" Matt was my older cousin; he's twenty-two years old, the son of Dad's older brother, and nearly finished his fourth year of college. Unfortunately, he doesn't live here at Thorndyke Mansion, but he lives out in Minneapolis instead.

"In the case we're not there then, please tell him we said hi," Dad requested. "Sorry, I need to go. I'm on a tight schedule, and our new AI products won't supervise themselves. Take care, Chris."

"Bye, Dad."

After I hung up the phone, I turned to Sonic. He was still cringing a little.

"Okay, it's done," I reassured him. "Sorry for the whole 'cat' thing."

The hedgehog shrugged. "It's fine," he said, to my relief. "You were just covering for me. Besides, this planet's never seen a Mobian before."

"Mobian?" That sounded all Greek to me. I assumed it has nothing to do with Moebius strips.

"That's what my species is called," he explained. "My friends are Mobians, too."

Just then Sonic's stomach rumbled. Oh no! I realized, he must not have eaten since he arrived! And since I had no clue what these "Mobians" eat, I was in trouble.

Or was I?

"Did you eat since arriving?" I asked.

"Nope. Not a bite since early last night." He jumped off of the railing. "You got any chili dogs?"

So Mobians eat human food. What a relief. "Yeah, as a matter of fact, we do."

"Yes!" Sonic almost shouted, before saying something about chili dogs being his favorite food of all time.

"Now, you gotta stay close, Sonic," I cautioned him. "I don't want to run any risks here, and if any of my guardians see you, I'll have quite a time trying to explain my way out of it."

"Okay."

I looked up and down the hallway. The coast was clear. So far, so good.

I stepped out into the hallway and motioned for Sonic to follow. Together we crept down the corridor. There was no one in sight.

"This feels like sneaking through one of Eggman's bases," remarked Sonic.

"Who's Eggman?" I asked just before hearing a sound come from the stairs. "Never mind!" I urgently whispered. "Into the guest room, quick!"

"You're not having any guests over, are you?" Sonic asked as he headed into the room.

"Other than you, no!" As soon as he was in, I shut the door behind him and continued walking as if nothing was amiss.

Then I saw the source of the noise: Ella was just reaching the top of the stairs with an empty basket of laundry.

"Well, good morning, Chris!" she greeted as we exchanged hugs. She was indeed like a second mother in a way. "I was going to do the laundry, and figured I would check up on you. It's not like you to wait in your room for so long before breakfast."

"Yeah, I know, but Mom and Dad called, so... yeah. Unfortunately Mom is delaying her visit too, but she and Dad are working on coming home in time for Matt's arrival."

Ella smiled. "Well, that's good to hear," she said. "Where are you off to?"

It only took a second to figure out what I wanted to do. "I think I'll join Grandpa in the lab."

"All right, Chris," Ella said before heading to the bathroom to collect the laundry. I headed toward the stairs so as not to arouse suspicion, but did not descend them. When Ella was out of sight, I ran back to the guest room and opened the door.

"Hurry!" I whispered. Sonic emerged from the room, and I made sure to close the door before heading for the stairs.

As we cautiously headed down the stairs, I looked around to see where Tanaka or Chuck might be. No sign of either of them. This was both a good thing and a bad thing.

"Not much further now," I told Sonic as we reached the bottom of the mansion's double staircase.

"Some place you have here," remarked Sonic as he looked around the house.

"Thanks," I said. "I'm proud to call this place home."

A few angsty moments later, we finally reached the kitchen. I opened the fridge, and there were the wrapped leftover chili dogs in a plastic container. We had had them for lunch two days ago.

"Y'know, it's a good thing you're able to eat the kind of food we do," I remarked.

"Why is that?" asked a curious Sonic.

"Earth hedgehogs generally eat cat food or crickets."

"Yikes," Sonic held back a shiver. "Then I guess I'm glad I'm not an Earth hedgehog. I take it Earth is the name of this planet?"

"You got it," I answered. "I think we should turn on the news; maybe they're talking about you."

"I _did_ see a news helicopter during my chase last night, so yeah, I guess I'm on tape now," Sonic remarked as we headed to the living room. Good thing no one else was around to see Sonic. Ella was taking care of the laundry, Tanaka was in the backyard, watering the garden (last I saw him), and Chuck was in the lab (I assumed). So it was just me and Sonic as we sat on the couch. I turned on the giant, wide flat-screen TV (supplied by Starship Soft), and switched on Channel 4 News. They were on a commercial break. However, the commercials ended just then, and renowned local newscaster Scarlet Garcia appeared on screen. She was wearing orange as usual.

"One of the biggest headlines today, an extraterrestrial creature has appeared downtown last night, causing quite the commotion throughout the city."

To be honest, it felt strange seeing Sonic on TV, especially since he was sitting right next to me. But that wasn't all.

"Police were on the scene, but the alien managed to elude them. Even the SSPD's special High-Speed Division failed to catch the alien, which reportedly broke the sound barrier.

I was amazed at just how fast he could run, even though he told me just last night he could perform this seemingly impossible feat. "How... how is it even possible to run that fast? You're actually the first to get away from my uncle!"

Sonic's eyes went wide. "That Sam Speed guy's your _uncle_?!" he almost shouted at the coincidence, and I had to motion for him to quiet down.

"Yeah," I whispered, before admonishing him. "Not so loud. The others can't know about you yet."

"Sorry," Sonic replied, before we turned our attention back to the TV.

"Eyewitness reports claim that the alien is 'at least three and a half feet tall', 'hedgehog-like', and 'impossibly fast'. Police report that the alien successfully cleared a roadblock set up on Highway 1, as well as escaped from Sam Speed's S-Team. Joining me now is University of California Station Square biologist Dr. Kai Narasu. He has an interesting theory on this alien. So, Dr. Narasu, you say this extraterrestrial creature isn't alien to Earth?"

"That's right," Narasu responded. "It's impossible for any organic being to run in excess of even one hundred miles per hour. Even the cheetah can't run that quickly. So the most logical conclusion is that it must be some kind of government machine being test run on the streets without prior warning. Kind of like a UFO."

"Well... that's very... interesting," Scarlet replied.

The interview continued, but I was looking at Sonic incredulously. No way was he a machine. He's flesh and blood, just like me. I found out first-hand when I rescued him from that pool last night. Dr. Narasu was crazy.

"Is the guy crazy or what?" Sonic remarked upon hearing the interview.

"Yeah, right? But they don't really know much about you, so they're speculating at this point."

Just then I heard footsteps just outside the side door. Too late to tell Sonic to hide, for these footsteps were quick. The door was thrown in, and Grandpa came running in.

"Chris, are you watching the-"

He stopped dead in his tracks, gaze fixed on Sonic. This was _really_ bad. My heart nearly skipped a beat. All I could do is hope that Chuck wouldn't call Tanaka and Ella down to see... that is, _if_ they hadn't seen the news already. Sonic looked at me, as if asking if he should leave now. I shook my head. We were good and caught. All because I let my guard down.

Finally Grandpa regained his composure. Sort of. "Hi-him? Here? W-W-What's going on?"

"Grandpa, I can explain!" I tried to cover for him, even though I knew there was no explaining Sonic away this time. I was done for.

"Yes, you certainly have quite a bit of explaining to do," Grandpa said.

"Yeah, I'll explain, Grandpa; just don't tell Ella or Tanaka please!"

"Okay, fine," Grandpa said. I felt a little relief, but not much.

"Well, last night-"

"Guys, look at this!" came Sonic's voice from the couch. I darted over and rewound the TV to the part that Sonic saw.

"Also, we received this picture from an eyewitness last night showing what could be two other beings from the alien's planet. They are either alien, or machine as Dr. Narasu thought. Authorities, who have removed them from this billboard, declined to comment."

The picture showed a rabbit-like... Mobian, did he say he was?... as well as a blob-like being the Mobian was holding. The Mobian was female, and looked quite young and cute. The blob had a bow tie and a small yellow ball floating above it (do physics apply where they live?).

"Cream and Cheese..." Sonic whispered.

"Are they your friends?" I asked, to which Sonic solemnly replied "Yes." I had not seen him look this serious. "They're just kids..." he spoke softly. "They can't be taken by police like this..."

Chuck looked concerned. "I need to make a call," he announced before leaving the room. "I'll be back in a moment!"

As Grandpa left the room, Sonic turned to me. "What is it he does around here?" he asked.

"He's my Grandpa Chuck," I answered. "He's also a professor who likes tinkering with gadgets. He's even got his own private lab under the garage!"

"Sounds like he and Tails will get along really well," remarked Sonic. "So it's just you two and the guy who gave you your breakfast earlier?"

"You mean Mr. Tanaka? He's our butler who's got a black belt in karate. No, we also have Miss Ella, our maid. I think she has what it takes to beat Bobby Flay without even trying." Sonic gave me a confused glance. "He's a famous chef," I explained.

"So it's you, your grandpa, the butler, and the maid," he summed up, before looking at me with concern. "Where are your parents?"

My parents, as you may know, are a hard patch in my life. "They're... they're almost never here. They're always out doing their jobs, and they only come a couple times a year.

Sonic looked sympathetic. Not like the fake sympathy I receive at school. No, this was _genuine_. Sonic was the first person in my life outside my family to show true sympathy.

"Poor kid," he whispered. "It's been hard for you here, hasn't it?"

"Yeah," I said. "I've learned to adapt, though."

"So... What is it your parents do?" he asked, trying to lighten the subject a little.

"Well... Nelson, my dad, is a billionaire tycoon who owns Starship Soft, which I think is probably the world's biggest appliance company. My mom Lindsey is a famous Hollywood actress."

Sonic smirked. "You must be pretty lucky to be one of the richest kids on this planet."

I chuckled. "Yeah, it does have its advantages."

I was liking Sonic more and more. Not only was he special, he was sympathetic, too! Also, how many people do you know of who can run at the speed of sound?

Just then Grandpa returned. He was just finishing his call. and placing his phone in his labcoat pocket. "That was Professor Pell," he responded. To Sonic, he explained, "Alexander Pell is a professor and old college friend of mine. Anyway, I called about your friends we saw on TV. Alex has a link with the local news crew, and was told that they were tranquilized and quietly taken away in the middle of the night by the government. Most likely they were taken to Area 99."

I gasped.

"Area 99 What's that?" Sonic asked.

"Where do I begin..." Grandpa thought. "Area 99 is a top-secret military base located about one hundred miles east of here. That's where they test the latest government equipment. Anyone who found out too much about the government's project mysteriously disappeared."

An eerie silence filled the room. Sonic's friends were taken _there_? That sounded terrible. Anyone who entered Area 99 like that would most likely never come out again. What a ghastly way to go.

"Mondo creepy..." Sonic muttered.

"Follow me," Grandpa instructed. He headed to the side door and opened it for me and Sonic before following us. I knew we were heading for the garage, but what for? Was was Grandpa up to? Well, let's just say I did _not_ like that glee in his eye.

"You never told me your name," Grandpa told Sonic.

"Sonic the Hedgehog," he replied.

"Hmm. Interesting name. I think your friends, Sonic, were taken to the research and development wing of Area 99, most likely because they're aliens."

"No problem. I can break in there, get them, and be back in less than hour. Just point the way," he offered.

"Sonic, that's hopelessly reckless!" I argued. He may run at the speed of the sound, but on top of that, he's _cocky_? No way am I going to let him break into a top-secret government base. But the other side of the equation posed a new question:

 _Don't you want Sonic to rescue his friends?_

Yeah... I do...

"I'm the fastest thing alive," answered Sonic with a cocky grin that spelled trouble. "If anything, I'll give them a run for their money!"

"But still..." I trailed off as we entered the garage. Grandpa headed for one of the shelves.

"You can't go alone, Sonic..." he said. Glad to see _someone's_ on my side. "...not without the right equipment." He pulled out a pair of devices. "We can stay in touch with these."

"A radio?" Sonic fingered the utensil Grandpa gave to him. "Looks like something Tails would make."

There, he mentioned Tails again. I took it he was another friend of Sonic's.

"It's also an infrared scope," Grandpa explained. "I've believed for years that Area 99 has infrared security lasers, and, since Area 99 has some of the tightest security in America, the scope will come in handy." Sonic slipped his headset on, and I couldn't help but notice just how much like Vegeta he looks. "Now I would highly discourage going in there guns ablaze, so try to find an air duct or something to get in."

"Shouldn't be a problem," Sonic nodded. "Can you give me an idea of what Area 99 looks like?"

"It's basically a pair of runways with several buildings here and there. Most of it's underground, from what I hear. Anyway, it's about a hundred miles east of here; you shouldn't have too much difficulty finding it."

"Gotcha," the hedgehog replied.

"Well, gotta juice. I'll keep in touch." With that, he bolted out of the garage, nearly blowing me over, but I caught myself just in time.

Off he ran, off to infiltrate a highly off-limits government base. And to think he would become a great friend. Here he is, throwing himself head-first into danger, even willing to break all the laws to get his friends out.

"He's going to break into Area 99, Grandpa! Why didn't you stop him?"

Grandpa sighed. "Would you rather his friends continue to be experimented on?"

I thought about it. "N-no," I spoke. "They look so young. They don't deserve this treatment."

"You're right," Grandpa said. "Which is why I'm glad we have someone who can rescue them on our side. If he is as confident as he says he is, then maybe he can get his friends out of Area 99."

"But..." I trailed off as Grandpa started to climb into the driver's seat of the car.

"Trust me, Chris," Grandpa urged. "I have confidence that Sonic will rescue his friends without being caught. Do you?"

I was speechless. Sonic was already a caring person, as I had seen earlier, and here he was thrusting himself into the depths of Area 99 to rescue his friends. But I was distracted as to why Grandpa was in the car.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"I thought we might want to go bowling together. You know, to take your mind off things. Besides, you've wanted to go one more time before school starts again."

While I couldn't guarantee the part where it could take my mind off of Sonic potentially breaking the law, I decided to take up his offer anyway. "All right," I accepted.

"Great. Let me just write this note letting Ella and Tanaka know we'll be away." He pulled out a memo and spent a few moments writing on it. Then he got out of the car and attached it to the outside of the small door next to the large garage door.

"Why not tell them in person?" I wondered.

"Because I don't want them coming in the garage and potentially seeing Sonic and his friends," he responded, "so I kept them out under the guise of a 'secret project'."

"Great idea," I approved.

"Now, are we ready to go?" he asked.

"Ready," I nodded as Grandpa climbed back into the car and started the motor. As we backed out of the driveway, I still couldn't shake the feeling that Sonic was going to get himself arrested or captured... or worse.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Having just come off his lunch break, Ray Browning strolled down the hallway that led to Sector D. Yesterday had been quite the day for him. In fact, he had only gotten about three hours of sleep last night. The reason was simple: extraterrestrial life.

The clean-shaven forty-something man would never in his wildest imagination have thought that alien life really actually existed. And yet there were reports of an alien in nearby Station Square just last night. The hedgehog-like one had evaded the police and even their special Speed Division branch, but that was not his responsibility. No, his responsibility was to oversee the collection of two possibly related alien species: one rabbit-like, and the other blob-like. When his team of government vehicles arrived to remove them from the GEICO billboard near Highway 101, they had no idea what to expect. Surely the aliens could attack them. But they didn't. In fact, the aliens sounded pitiful when they were carefully tranquilized, removed from the billboard, and loaded into the back of a government van. Even though Ray himself wasn't there to watch, when he received the report that his team had recovered the aliens, he felt nothing short of giddy. No way would he sleep tonight. He really wanted to see the aliens in person, but took nearly two hours for the van to arrive, and another two to set up the containment chamber that would store the aliens, and long before then he decided it was his bedtime. He would have stayed up to see the aliens, but thought it would take quite a while longer to prepare. No way would he sleep tonight. Good thing he had a Kindle.

Ray had only gotten three hours in. He was so excited that he had actually captured an extraterrestrial creature. _Two_ of them actually. Were they intelligent? What were their capabilities? Where were they from? He would have to find out soon.

At last he decided he had enough with trying to get more sleep. As much as he wanted to see the aliens first, he had other priorities to do. He wasn't head of the Research and Development division of Area 99 for nothing.

Two hours and one lunch break later, it was finally time. Time to see the aliens. Time to learn something new.

Ray entered through an automatic sliding door that led to a side corridor and paused in front of the door to Room D-21. While he didn't particularly care for the new eye scanners that had been installed a few years ago, he figured it was for the best and beggars can't be choosers. He bent down and let the device scan his eye. F219563 had been his ID number for the eight years he was head of the Research and Development division. At last, the device gave a beep, a tiny LED light turned green, and the door unlocked. He tried to hold in his excitement as he entered the decidedly crowded room. A female scientist approached him.

"Sir, the specimens have regained consciousness just ten minutes ago and await testing," she reported.

"Thank you, Catherine," Ray responded. "How are their vital signs?"

"Stable," came the response.

Ray looked around for the two aliens. It didn't take him long to spot them. Sure enough, there were the rabbit-like and blob-like aliens. He had to admit, they looked... cute, but he reminded himself to stick to his job and not play with the animals.

"Okay," Ray instructed, "we will need to run several more scans and see how their immune, digestive and respiratory systems work. Especially the blue one. We'll start with a heat signature."

"Yes, sir!" several scientists responded as they headed to their various poss at the computers.

"Wh-wh-where are we?" came a strange high-pitched voice from the containment chamber. "Wh-what are you going to d-do with us?"

To say that everyone was taken aback was something of an understatement. No way would they have thought the rabbit-like alien could speak, let alone English.

"Chao chao!" the smaller alien responded.

"They're far more intelligent than we previously thought," one scientist whispered to Ray, "even to a human-like degree."

Ray nodded. This was starting to become a scientific breakthrough. He tried to hide his excitement.

"Please, could you please let us out," the rabbit-like alien pleaded. "We didn't do anything wrong!"

Ray cleared his throat and approached the containment chamber. "You can't be let out," he tried to say as evenly as he could.

It seemed that an air of depression was added to the alien's fear. "But why?" it asked.

As cute as the alien was, Ray did not want to hurt its feelings. Yet this was business, and he couldn't compromise work with sympathy. "We can't take any unnecessary risks. For one, we don't trust that you're not part of an attack on this planet or whatever, and for another, we're not done experimenting with you."

That seemed to strike a chord with the alien. "E-Experimenting?" she squeaked. "Wh-what kind of place is this?"

"I'm sorry, but that's classified," Ray responded curtly. He turned back just as one of the scientists reported: "Heat signature complete, sir."

"Let me see." Ray rushed over to the screen and studied the image generated. "Interesting," he mused as he saw the shades of colors that made up the aliens' heat signatures. "Pretty much what I expected it to be. Okay, now the respiratory system test."

"Respiratory system test starting in 3... 2..."

The scientist named Catherine approached the aliens. "I'm sorry you both have to be put through these tests," she said sympathetically. "I really am. But you see, we've never had anyone of your kind here before."

"You... haven't?"

Catherine didn't know how to answer that question. But before she could respond, Ray spoke up.

"We're not here to socialize, Catherine."

"Sorry!" the scientist responded before heading back to her post at one if the monitors. But the turned back to the aliens to say: "Don't worry. You two won't be here forever. Just hang in there, and you'll be out before you know it." She said this quietly so as not to make Ray think there was conspiracy going on. The rabbit-like alien cracked a small smile, as if it liked Catherine.

"Respiratory system test complete."

"Now on to the immune system test," Ray ordered.

"How long will we be here?" the alien asked, not sounding as scared as before thanks to Catherine.

"Oh, could be two or three months," Ray answered. "But until the government gives the order, you can't leave the facility."

Cream sat down and leaned against the wall. "Is Sonic here on this planet?" she spoke to no one in particular. "Will he come and rescue us?" Cheese hovered close to Cream, and they cuddled, waiting for their hedgehog in shining armor to rescue them from the frightful bowels of Area 99.

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

I didn't think Area 99 would be this hard to find. Then again, desert for miles around seems to have that effect. Everything's harder to find in a desert.

I've been running for the past twenty or so minutes trying to find something that should be much larger than a needle in a haystack. I mean, how hard is it to find a giant military base in the middle of the desert? Then again, it _is_ top secret. I just hoped I would find it before long...

So Cream and Cheese are getting experimented on in there, huh? _Mondo_ uncool. They only just got here; they don't deserve this treatment. What kind of experiments were being done, I didn't want to think about, though it probably has to do with them being aliens to this planet. Yet _I'm_ an alien, and they haven't experimented on me. I guess that's what the cops wanted me for last night, but I was too fast for 'em. Overlander enforcement is intelligent, but sometimes they're really shortsighted.

It's pretty lonely out here. Makes me wonder who lives all the way out here. I did see the occasional gas station, road, and signpost every now and then, but man, it's dead quiet out in the desert. And to think that Station Square's right at the edge of this desert. Well, _this_ Station Square, anyway.

At last, I think I made a breakthrough. From the top of a nearby cliff, I saw some pretty ominous things right away.

A radio tower.

A runway.

Barbed wire fences.

I think I found what I've been looking for. Time to check in with the chief. Fortunately, the radio's wireless, so all I needed to do was speak.

"Yo Chuck, you there?"

A moment passed before I got a response. "Yes, Sonic. Did you find it?"

"Yeah," I responded, "and it sure does look ugly."

"Think you can vault the fence?" Chuck asked. "I know you cleared a police barricade last night, but this is different."

Sounds like a challenge. And you long-time Sonic fans probably know I never back away from a challenge. "Is the sky blue? Is water wet?" Probably shouldn't have picked that second comparison for obvious reasons, but what's done is done.

Chuck laughed a little. "I don't doubt you for a second," he responded. "Good luck in there."

 _I need more than luck to get these two out,_ I thought.

So I began running toward Area 99's fence at a reasonably quick speed. Closer and closer the fences got. I could do this. It's nothing I haven't done before. It was almost just like Eggman's base, but with Overlanders instead of robots. Not to mention I have to rescue Cream and Cheese again. It's just like last night, but this time, I'm on an alien world that is strangely similar to my own.

I reached the fence in about thirteen seconds flat, and prepared myself for the leap. Shame; there aren't any robots to trash around here. Oh well. I leaped over the barbed wire fence with the greatest of ease...

...only to suddenly find myself caught on closed-circuit surveillance. Too bad my one minute of fame didn't last long as I waved to the cameras and spin-dashed them to bits. Don't want any prying eyes to see me bust Cream out of there, now do we?

Good thing hardly anyone was out in the open. The only evidence they'd have of me being there was the broken cameras. Even then, it still wouldn't prove I broke them, unless they were smart enough to look at the surveillance videos. And they probably already saw me.

I shrugged off those thoughts as I saw a clear air duct entrance. Looking around to make sure I'm not a candid camera celebrity, I plunged into the ventilation shaft.

Way too often I leap before I look. And yet I'm careful enough to avoid certain doom. This is one of those situations, as I never accounted for the depth of the shaft. I judged it was about a good thirty feet deep as I slid to a stop. Hope my butt doesn't hurt too much in the morning...

My headset had nearly fallen off in the fall, so I repositioned it. They weren't the best fir, mostly because they were a little large, and they were made for Overlanders, not Mobians. Besides, I'm not used to running around with an infrared field in front of one eye. No sooner had I straightened them than Chuck radioed me.

"I'm hearing a lot of noise on your end," he said in a concerned tone. "Are you in?"

"Yeah," I replied. "But things look ugly up ahead."

"It's the infrared lasers, right?"

"Yup. Looks like those rumors you've been hearing are true. It's nothing I can't handle, though."

I looked ahead at the security laser. Okay, so maybe I exaggerated a little with Chuck. They obscured the entire path in front of me starting about fifteen feet away, which made me think I picked the wrong vent to jump in. I carefully started crawling down the shaft, trying not to make any noise.

Eleven feet, ten, nine... The security lasers grew ever closer, and I considered turning back and heading back up the shaft if my luck didn't change any time soon.

But wait...

I smiled when I heard a new sound underneath me. The sound of a grille. Perfect. Now I can enter Area 99.

"Found my way in," I reported. "Now it gets real."

"Excellent," responded Chuck. "Be careful in there."

"I'll make it through; don't worry," I reassured. "Listen, I won't be able to report my status for a while, since I don't want to give away my location."

"Okay, then," Chuck said. "Good luck."

I'm on my own now. In fact, this mission was all me since the beginning. Now to see what kind of security and secrets Area 99 has to offer...

I peeked through the slits in the grille, and saw almost exactly what I expected to see. I saw at least one camera swiveling back and forth, scanning the hallway for intruders. No way would the boys at Area 99 expect an intruder of my skill. But I figured that, where there was one camera, there were more. After all, Chuck _did_ say Area 99 had some of the highest security in the world.

I examined the grille, checking to see if it was secured to the ceiling. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn't. There wasn't even so much as screws holding it in place. Smirking, I placed my hands on either side of the grille, and carefully, quietly, removed it from its place and leaned it against the metal wall. I then quickly and carefully looked down the hall. Sure enough, there were dozens of pivoting cameras lining the walls. I quickly pulled my head back up to avoid detection. Then I realized: they were studying the floor, not the ceiling. Maybe I could use this to my advantage...

I looked down the hall again, carefully studying the cameras, looking for a pattern to them. Normally, I wouldn't care about surveillance, but this isn't Eggman's base. Yet, it seemed very much like it, sans the robots. Both today and yesterday, Cream and Cheese were captured. I'd say today is more dangerous, since I've never been to Area 99 before.

At last, I noticed a pattern. For only a split second, all cameras pointed away from my location. I had to time it exactly right if I wanted to make it through this ordeal.

Every eleven and a half seconds, the cameras pointed away from me. I mentally counted to eleven and a half before leaping down and darting down the halls; although extremely carefully, as I wanted to avoid dealing with whatever Area 99 had to offer. Keeping an eye on the cameras can be pretty tricky when done quickly. Then again, "quick" is my middle name.

You thought my middle name was "The", right? What kind of cartoon has that?

At last, I reached the end of the hall and came to the next one, of course, it too had swiveling cameras. Time to pick up the pace.

It was a wonder I avoided detection at that intersection. I'm not gonna lie; dodging the cameras' lines of sight is far more taxing than I thought. And yet I was doing it. I'd say if Eggman and the Area 99 guys had a surveillance contest, the trophy goes to these guys hands-down.

I couldn't do this all day. I needed some time out of the limelight.

Then I had my lucky break.

A janitor's closet.

I made a beeline for that closet, and was relieved that there were no cameras directly in front of the closet. Even better, there was a map of the facility in front of the door. So I figured I could duck inside the closet and study the map, which is exactly what I did.

Now to find where Cream and Cheese are...

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

Grandpa removed his headset as I prepared to bowl again. "So I guess we just wait for now," he stated.

I released the ball and watched it roll down the lane. Unfortunately, it had too much of a spin, and clipped three of the pins on the left side.

"Not bad," Grandpa noted, "but try to have a little less of a spin on the ball next time."

"Okay," I answered, before my thoughts returned to Sonic.

"Grandpa... Does Sonic know he's probably breaking the law? I mean, I do want him to rescue his friends, but..."

Grandpa placed a hand on my shoulder. "Chris, I know where you're coming from. You just need to have a little faith in him. Besides, if Sonic is caught, and I doubt he will, maybe the punishment would be different with him, since he is not of this world."

I took the next ball, and bowled my second ball toward the pins. This time, I knocked down five pins, leaving only two standing.

"Your turn," I said, backing away as Grandpa took the next ball. The pin setter reset the pins. "I hope Sonic's friends are okay. What were their names again?"

"Cream and Cheese, if I'm right." The mention of their names reminded me of cream cheese, and I had to smile.

Just as Chuck's ball knocked down seven pins, Grandpa's headset crackled, prompting Chuck to place them back on. "Chuck, are you still there?"

"Just a moment," Grandpa spoke, before covering the mouthpiece. "I'll be right back. You can bowl my second ball," he told me before heading in the direction of the restroom.

As he left, I wondered what kind of update he would bring. Hopefully it was good news. I knew that Cream and Cheese were far too young to be experimented on or even held captive in a place like Area 99. I felt bad for them. But the one emotion that exceeded fear and concern for them was annoyance. Annoyance at Sonic for daring to break the American laws. But there was something else in there I seemed to be overlooking.

Love.

Sonic loved Cream and Cheese, enough to break the rules in order to save them. He would do _anything_ to rescue his friends. That was true love. And for that, I was grateful.

I broke away from my thoughts to bowl Grandpa's second ball. Grandpa. How was it possible that he trusted Sonic so much where I couldn't? Maybe it was because he knew Sonic was not a machine? Or was it because he was just willing to help him?

Then I realized that the answer to this too was love. That same love was in Grandpa. He wanted to see Cream and Cheese free. He would support Sonic in doing whatever it took to free them from Area 99.

I released the ball and watched it sail down the lane. Closer and closer it got to the pins. It looked like a clean shot. Then it collided with the pins - a perfect spare.

"Nice shot," I heard Grandpa behind me as he returned from the restroom.

"Thanks," I responded as I picked up the next ball. "So what did Sonic say?"

"He found a map of Area 99, and I helped him to locate the research and development wing. Fortunately that's not far from where he is now."

"That's good," I responded as I prepared to bowl again. "Just hope Sonic frees his friends and gets out before the authorities catch him."

"You know they can't," Grandpa laughed. "Remember last night?"

"Yeah," I chimed in.

Grandpa became serious again. "You seem more confident," he said. "Is it a change of heart?"

"I guess you can say that," I responded. "I realized that, while Sonic could still be arrested... he's doing this out of love. And... and you also have that same love."

"I certainly do," Grandpa replied warmly. "I will always try to help those in need. Any friend of Sonic is a friend of mine."

"But you only just met him," I pointed out.

"I knew at first sight he was a special person," Chuck said. "In fact, I was getting bored of the same-old, same-old, you know? I actually wanted to see him in person at some point. But never in a thousand years would I have expected to see him with you in your living room. You still have to tell me how he got there."

I cleared my throat, and prepared to tell him that awesome, amazing, astonishing story of how Sonic ended up in my world.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Ella was dusting Chris' room upstairs. She had not seen him since they met in the hall earlier that morning. It wasn't like him to leave the house without saying where he was going. He _did_ say, however, that he was joining Chuck in the lab, but there had been no sign of the scientist in about an hour. She was growing more and more curious of their whereabouts.

One she finished dusting in the bedroom, Ella left the bedroom and headed toward the stairs. "Tanaka!" she called. Promptly the Japanese butler appeared at the bottom of the staircase. "At your service, Miss Ella," he made himself available.

"Tanaka, could you please check to see if Chris and Chuck are still in the garage? They don't usually leave the house without telling us."

"Right away, Miss Ella," he answered before rushing out the front. Ella turned and headed back down the hall toward Lindsey's and Nelson's shared room to dust. Could they have gone shopping together? Chuck was always getting new parts for his projects. No, he almost never took Chris along; the young boy usually thought of it as boring. So she ruled out that possibility. Then she realized: Chris had been talking about going bowling for past two weeks now. Bingo. She was concerned over nothing large at all.

A minute later, Tanaka returned to the upstairs. "I found this note on the side door," he reported, before handing Ella the note. The maid unfolded it and read it.

 _"To Ella and Tanaka:_

 _Chris and I are going to the bowling alley today. Also, please don't enter the garage for the next few days. I am working on a top-secret project. Hopefully by next week, I will be able to disclose it.  
_

 _-Chuck"_

"Huh," Ella said as she handed the note back to Tanaka. "Perhaps you should put this note back where you found it. I don't want Mr. Thorndyke thinking we saw his project."

"Very good, Miss Ella," Tanaka replied as he took the note and headed for the stairs. Just as he reached the bottom of the stairs, the doorbell rang, followed by "Police. Open up."

Now this was unexpected. Ella was both worried and curious as to what the officers wanted. Surely one of them wasn't in trouble? Ella knew this was the case, but she still wanted to know why the police were at the door.

"I will handle this," volunteered Tanaka as he walked briskly to the front door. Upon opening it, he saw four police officers standing on the porch.

"Good afternoon," the frontmost officer stated. His name tag suggested his surname was Rodham. "We've received eyewitness reports that an alien that appeared in town last night was last spotted here. We have been authorized to conduct a thorough search for the suspect in this house."

Tanaka wasn't surprised in the slightest. After all, he _had_ seen the news that morning. "Very well," he consented, and stepped aside the let the officers in.

"Okay, spread out," instructed Officer Rodham. "You two, upstairs. Evans and I will take the first floor."

"Yes, sir!" the other two officers responded as they ascended the stairs. Ella headed back downstairs toward Tanaka.

"Tanaka..." Ella spoke, having not heard the officer speak to Tanaka. "What are they looking for?"

The butler chose his next words carefully. "They are... looking for... a very dangerous wanted criminal. Eyewitnesses said he was last spotted in this area."

"Oh?"

"Yes. The police have advised those living in this neighborhood to take extreme caution and remain indoors."

Ella wasn't sure what to say at that. "Thank you for telling me," she finally said.

"I would not be too concerned, Miss Ella," reassured Tanaka. "Mr. Thorndyke has ensured we have the highest standard in home security."

"And for that I am grateful," Ella added. "Remember that time a few years back when a couple thieves tried to break in?"

"Indeed. They could not even so much as clear the gate."

A few minutes later, the four officers gathered back in the foyer. "We've finished," Officer Rodham announced. "We apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused."

"That's quite alright," Tanaka said. "Did you find any evidence for the case."

"None. Our man must have left the premises. We'll keep listening for eyewitness reports. He can't have gone too far."

"I hope you find him," Tanaka said.

"Don't worry about a thing," Officer Rodham headed for the door. "Well, you two have a good day now."

As Tanaka shut the door behind the officers, he mentally released a big sigh. The alien was in this area, and the police were right in their house searching for it! Thank goodness the cops didn't say "alien" in front of Ella; he'd have quite the time trying to explain it.

However, the only clue that proved that Sonic the Hedgehog was ever there, the one clue the police overlooked, was an empty chili dog wrapper on the coffee table in the living room.

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

Having hung up with Chuck, I took one last quick peek at the map - kinda hard to do with a red lens over one eye. If Chuck was right, then the R&D section only had a few rooms for organic lifeform research. According to the map, those rooms were D-20 through D-22. Since I knew Cream and Cheese were organic, they _had_ to be in one of those rooms. Only thing is, there are still cameras _everywhere_. Dodging them was really taxing for me, which meant I had to do it again if I wanted to get the pair out of this place.

I carefully opened the closet door wider and looked to make sure the cameras weren't facing me. Some were just facing away when I looked, so I darted out of there. Only when I was far enough from the door did I realize I forgot to close it. Oh well. I knew the staff here couldn't catch me if they spotted me.

Two rights, a left, then the third hall on the left. Now that I was getting used to the layout of Area 99, I decided to pick up the pace a little.

The cameras seemed to have a set pattern to them, which allowed me to slip by them if I was fast enough. Then again, "fast enough" is normal for me, so who am I kidding?

 _Careful, Sonic_ , I chided myself. _This is a rescue mission, not a break-in-and-kick-Eggman's-butt mission._ Breaking in here is one thing, but this time I needed to break out with Cream in tow. And she's only a kid, I needed to put her safety above mine. I vowed to get her out of Area 99 as quickly as possible, no matter what it took.

At last I rounded the final corner and spin-dashed through the closed door to the sub-corridor. That was really risky, but I knew someone was bound to have seen me by now. Fortunately, I didn't care. The only thing that mattered was that Cream was going to see freedom today.

Three doors. Only three doors to choose from. Which one was Cream behind? Strangely, this small hallway was not guarded by any cameras, so there was that. I knew I didn;t have all day. And it was a wonder I didn't see anyone the whole time I was here. Perhaps Cream's being here was a bigger deal than I had thought.

Then I realized: this seemed foolhardy. Was Chris right to think I was throwing myself into the open arms of Big Brother? But I've gotten out of bigger pickles than the jar can hold. So I decided to examine the three doors.

D-20's light was off. Guess nobody was in there. D-21 seemed filled with activity. And D-22 had only a few people inside. Using my supersonic deduction skills, I concluded that D-21 was the room for me. Thus the light bulb had gone off in my head.

And the facility. Literally.

Yep, we're talking about a mondo major power outage here. It was pitch black. At least I knew where the door was before I threw it open. Sure, it had an eye scanner, but it also had an emergency disengage system. Inside the room, there were many confused Overlanders wandering about. Some were using their smartphones as makeshift flashlights. So those things _do_ have a use besides encouraging couch potato living...

"Get some electricians to the grid on the double!" one of them yelled into a radio set.

Their phone lights not only helped them see where they were going, it helped me see as well. Miraculously, they didn't see me as I sneaked past them. Now, where in this massive room can Cream's containment chamber-

 _Bump._

Looks like I found it.

"W-What was that?" I heard a frightened Cream on the other side of the glass.

"Shh, it's just me," I said.

"Mr. Sonic?" Cream exclaimed with relief.

"Keep your voice down," I gently cautioned, "and stand back. I'm gonna break you out."

"Okay," Cream responded ans she stood back. I positioned myself so that most of the glass would not harm Cream or Cheese. Bracing myself, I leaped toward Cream's encasement, curled into a ball, and smashed through the glass on both sides of the containment chamber. As soon as I landed, Cream ran toward me and hugged me. Cheese followed suit.

"Thank you, Mr. Sonic!" she exclaimed gratefully.

"Sorry, no time," I told her as several heavy flashlights shone on us.

"Intruder!" someone shouted. "The test subject is loose!"

"W-What's going on?" Cream looked around, worried. I smirked. "We're gonna juice it loose."

Cream barely had any time to pick up Cheese before I broke into a run. Kinda hard to do in the dark, as you might imagine. It was a miracle I didn't run into anyone. We can't say the same for any _thing_ , though. I had nearly run into a wall trying to flee the room in the dark. Cautioning myself to be careful, I tried to move a little slower, but as quickly as I could in the dimly-lit, if at all, corridors. If only this infrared scope also had night vision...

"You okay back there, Cream?" I asked her once I set her down. No way could I carry her and run in the dark.

"Not yet," Cream nervously admitted. "How long has it been since we were sent here?"

I turned to face her - or rather, wherever her voice seemed to come from. "About fifteen hours," I responded grimly. "Too long to be in captivity for you."

"Fifteen hours?" Cream was surprised. "It felt like months in there!"

"Good thing I saw you on the news, or it certainly _would_ have been months," I replied.

I had to use my instincts to guide myself through the corridors. Fortunately, I didn't have to worry about the cameras anymore; they were deactivated by the power outage. I also did not have to worry too much about the staff; they weren't headed my way.

"Do you know why the lights went out, Mr. Sonic?" Cream broke the silence.

"Sorry. Not a clue." I tried to smile, but no one could see it in the dark.

Just then the lights came back on. We shielded our eyes from the lights that blinded us after spending this long in the dark. "Backup generator," I mused. The power would surely be restored by the electricians soon, whatever happened.

Then things went from good to bad as the cameras swiveled in unison to the only things standing in the hallway.

Us.

Immediately an alarm began blaring, startling us. _"Intruders detected in Sector D. Counteractive measurements are advised,"_ droned a female robotic voice. This went from bad to _mondo_ bad. How could this get any- no, I shouldn't jinx things. Oh wait, they _did_ just get worse. The cameras weren't there for surveillance. I found this out first-hand as tiny capsules emerged from the tops of the cameras. Laser blasters. I thought Overlanders weren't capable of this technology? Then again, this _is_ Area 99, one of the most secret and high-tech places in this world, according to Chuck.

"Hang tight," I told her as I picked her up bridal-style, being mindful that she was still carrying Cheese. Then, being as careful as I can, I tore off down the hall just as the lasers started firing. Strangely, these lasers weren't destructive. I took it they could only affect organic beings such as us, and not inanimate things like the walls and floor of the facility.

It was difficult to carry Cream and Cheese and dodge the lasers at the same time. But since I was running as quickly as I could in an enclosed corridor, they narrowly missed me by mere inches.

Just then my radio began crackling. Bad time, Chuck, bad time...

"Sonic, I'm hearing a lot of what sounds like laser fire on your end. What's the situation?"

"Just child's play. I do this all the time back home," I responded with a smirk.

"Who was that?" Cream asked.

"Someone you'll meet real soon if we get out of this alive," I responded as I dodged more lasers. Already this was getting old. This mission was harder than I thought it would be. And the lasers were more annoying than an actual threat. Time to do them in.

I gently set Cream down once we reached a relatively safe area. This took her by surprise. "What are you doing?" she asked.

I quickly turned to face her. "I'm going to take care of a few of those cameras. You need to run ahead of me."

"But..." she began to protest, but I was already on the task. Quickly spotting the first camera, I leaped on top of it. The other cameras turned toward me, but I noticed the cameras fired every two seconds, including my own. Hoping the other cameras wouldn't destroy mine, I carefully aimed my camera at the others, destroying them one by one. It was then that I saw that Cream was rooted in place in awe and terror, watching camera after camera go down.

"Go!" I ordered. This did the trick. It shook Cream from her trance, and I watched as she darted down the hall. I uprooted my camera, threw it to the ground, and stomped on it. Just then an awful reality came to be.

Doors started closing all through the facility.

That wasn't so bad, though. The bad thing about this lockdown was the fact that I abandoned Cream. I let my selfishness get ahead of me. I took off down the hall, only to see a door closing right between me and Cream. This is what I had been afraid of. I know never to separate myself from anyone I'm rescuing.

Fortunately this was a mild situation. A small door was no problem for me.

"Mr. Sonic!" Cream cried out in fright.

"A base lockdown hasn't stopped me before, right Cream?" I reassured her. "Stand back!"

I walked back about fifteen feet from the sealed door, then ran toward it before executing a spin-dash that ripped through the door like it was one of Eggman's robots. (For all I know, it could have been the same material.) Quickly spotting Cream, I scooped her up and continued running.

"Sorry about abandoning you back there," I apologized. "But those cameras are so annoying right now!" Sure enough, there were _even more_ cameras here than the ones I destroyed. I just had to grin and bear it.

"It's okay, Mr. Sonic," replied Cream. "I know you'll get me and Cheese out of here safely."

"Yeah," I smiled, "I will."

Another hallway, another line of cameras. There was nothing but hallways and cameras out here. Strangely, I didn't see any guards anywhere. Then again, I'm too fast for them, I guess. And since there were walls everywhere, I had mo clue which wall was an exterior wall, and there was no time to go back and look at the map. Let's face it; I'm lost.

"Do you think you could leave the same way you came in, Mr. Sonic?" Cream asked, as if she could read my thoughts.

I grimaced. "Through a ventilation shaft guarded by invisible security lasers? Afraid not, Cream. We'll have to make our own way out."

Saying there were cameras everywhere was more of an understatement. They must have put cameras every six feet! Now _that's_ surveillance. If only all these cameras would stop shooting lasers at me and just turn off...

And they did. Just like that.

The reason was quite simple, really. It came in the form of several small electronic devices that rounded the corner right in front of us and aimed themselves at the cameras. Upon collision, they shorted out the cameras one-by-one.

"Whoa!" I ducked underneath another half a dozen devices that continued down the hall and disabled some of the other cameras we passed. We stood still, not sure what to make of the situation.

"W-What's going on?" Cream wondered.

"Wish I knew," I responded. "But if I knew any better, I'm sure this must be the work of-"

Just then another device came into view. It looked slightly different than the others, and was unaccompanied. It seemed to hover there before floating down into my hand. Examining the device, I saw that it was shaped like a paper airplane, and had electronic symbols lining it. But the one symbol that stood out was an image of two tails.

I felt great relief. Tails had made it here to this world. He was the best friend I ever made. As our tech whiz, he helped us out of countless crises. He is an amazing little brother. When we reunited, I knew I had to introduce him to Chris.

"What is that?" Cream leaned toward me to look at the electronic plane. I lowered it for her to see.

"It's from Tails," I spoke gently. "Listen, we need to keep moving. We don't want to get caught, right?"

Cream nodded, and we started running toward who-knows-where. It was only then that I realized that the plane contained a small paper rolled up inside. I took it out and opened it. As I thought, it was a message from Tails. I read it to myself:

 _Sonic,_

 _I don't know if you're going to receive this, but I learned of Cream's capture, and figured you would be here. I've provided you some backup in the form of EMP planes; they should take care of the surveillance. Make your exit at the northeast section. It's the one with the large dish-shaped roof. I'll be in the Tornado. Good luck._

 _Tails_

"Guess I'll need the map again," I said to myself. To Cream I said, "Cream, let me know if you see a map somewhere."

"Okay, Mr. Sonic."

We kept running down the halls, the only sounds being our footsteps and the sparking electricity from the cameras, not to mention the sounds of shouting in the distance.

"Guards are coming," I warned the young rabbit. "Better pick up the pace."

"Wait!" Cream pulled on my arm while pointing to the wall. "There's a map here."

I stopped and looked at the map. "Let's see..." I mused. Locating the northeastern quadrant, I calculated that it wasn't far from where we were now.

"Intruders! Freeze!" came a shout from the distance. Okay, so maybe it was a little further away than I thought.

Just then they came into view. They were about a dozen Overlanders in military suits, all aiming their semi-automatic rifles at me. Heh, I'm sure Shadow's gonna _love_ the guns they have here...

"Put your hands up! Both of you!" one of the soldiers ordered.

I shrugged. "Nah, I don't feel like it." Without wasting any more time, I picked up Cream (awkwardly, as I was in a hurry), and bolted past the guards at an insane speed. Well, insane for a closed indoor space. Quite normal for me otherwise.

In my hurry I nearly hit another wall. Believe me, I've done that before, but since I've been running supersonic for years, I'm quite used to indoor spaces. At least the cameras aren't a problem anymore. But now that I've got guards to deal with, this just became a mondo time crunch.

"Gonna need some concentration so I can get us out of here," I advised Cream. She nodded.

I loaded a mental image of the map into my mental file and tried to study it as hard as I could without losing speed as I ran. As there were no cameras, I didn't have to worry about the lasers as much, as most of them in this area were destroyed. But now I had to worry about guns and real bullets. The guards started shooting at us. I cradled Cream and Cheese closer as I got closer to the rendezvous point.

Two minutes later (it felt a lot longer), we arrived at the rendezvous point. It was a stairwell surrounding a missile silo. Fortunately, it was empty, so there were no missiles to worry about today. Just a staircase with no railing. Major safety hazard, I might add.

But the railing wasn't my only issue. Guards were descending the staircase. Of course, they were armed with more rifles. Note to self: if I ever get my hands on one of those, I'm gonna give it to Shadow next time I see him. Rumor has it he's got a collection going on.

"This is gonna be close," I said as I ran up the staircase. Not to engage the guards up there, but to avoid the ones that just came through the door I had entered through. I was trapped abone and below. This was bad. I only hoped Tails was still waiting outside for me.

Just then I heard an all-too-familiar droning noise. It could only be Tails' famous Tornado. The only hurdle left for me to leap over was my escape from Area 99. Not so bad.

"Is that the Tornado?" Cream asked once she heard the sound of the motor.

"You bet!" I confirmed. "Now hang on. Just hope you don't feel too dizzy once I'm done getting us out."

"What do you mean?" It didn't take her long to figure out my plan. "But... isn't there another way?"

"Trank the extraterrestrials!" ordered one of the guards.

"I guess the answer is no," I said grimly. "Hang on."

I leaped into the air, and willed myself to spin rapidly in place. The guards must have been astonished, as they seemed to do absolutely nothing. Either that, or time seemed to slow down. Anyway, when I reached peak spinning speed, I launched myself at the opposite wall and bounced off. I needed to reach a certain velocity, which meant I couldn't just crash through the wall without ricocheting myself around the room several times. Which is exactly what I did. I noticed the guards were starting to fire their tranquilizers at me, but all of them missed. I swear some of them even hit each other. That must have been a sight to see.

Once I bounced around about seven or eight times, I aimed myself at the exterior wall, and collided with it with ease. It stood no chance against me as we sailed through it. We were just above one of the stairs when we went through, which, unfortunately, meant the guards could poke their guns through and fire. Fortunately they didn't do that just yet.

Just then I caught a quick glance of the Tornado 2. Uncurling, I aimed myself at the right wing. Tails waved as he dipped the plane so I could easily land on the wing.

And land on the wing I did. Without much grace though, since I was still carrying my precious cargo.

"You made it!" congratulated the fox behind the controls.

"I don't let my friends down for anything in the world," I said as I gently set Cream down in the passenger's seat and buckled her in. She looked quite dizzy from all the spinning she had endured, but it worth the price of freedom.

"What's that you're wearing, Sonic?" Tails asked in curiosity.

"It's an infrared scope/radio combo," I answered. Just then I noticed the guards congregating around the hole I made.

"Tails, looks like the guards are going to-"

"I know! Just give me a moment."

The guards had just begun to open fire on the craft. No bullets hit the Tornado, and I held on as I felt it travelling faster. After a couple moments, the bullets stopped coming.

"So how'd you know I'd be here?" I asked. I know, I had the note, but I wanted to hear his side of the story.

"I'll explain once we land," Tails answered. "Speaking of, where _are_ we landing?"

"I'm staying at one of the Overlanders' houses. We'll land there. I'll guide the way."

"Wait, you're living with Overlanders? Are you sure they won't turn you in or anything?"

"Oh, no, no, we're on good terms. That reminds me, I gotta check in."

Fortunately, my headset was still on; it never left my head during my breakout spin.

"Chuck, you still there?"

"Yes, Sonic. Did you make it out?"

"Sure did. Cream is safe with me, and we're on our way back. In short, mission accomplished."

"Excellent," Chuck praised. "We're on our way back now."

"Oh, and Chuck?"

"Yeah?"

"You got room in your driveway for a small biplane?"

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

Grandpa and I left the Arby's we went to right after the bowling alley. It was a close game, and even though I bowled a strike or two, Grandpa still came out on top. It's like he's an expert or something. Maybe someday I'll win.

Just before we left, Sonic told us he had succeeded, and met up with another friend who owned a biplane. All I can say is wow. How is Sonic's friend going to fit it in our driveway without arousing the suspicions of Ella and Tanaka? That would be _super_ hard.

"How long have we been out today, Grandpa?" I asked as Grandpa remotely unlocked the car doors.

Grandpa glanced at his watch. "About three hours."

"Is that all?" I was surprised. "Time really flew for me!"

We climbed into the car, and Grandpa started the motor. "You think it's bad now; just wait until you get to my age." Was being old that bad? Does time fly that quickly with age? Well, I was still young, so I didn;t have to worry about that now.

We pulled out of the parking lot. Grandpa checked the rearview mirror for traffic.

Chuck smiled. "Are you excited to meet Sonic's friends, Chris?" I beamed. "I really am! Though, I hope they're not nearly as reckless as Sonic."

"You're still thinking about his recklessness," Chuck assumed, to which I shook my head. "No, I don't think you'll have to worry about them."

I nodded. "Cream. Wasn't that Sonic's friend's name?"

"That's right."

"She and Cheese must have been really scared in Area 99."

Chuck sadly nodded. "They were. No one deserves that treatment, especially anyone as young as they are."

"Yeah, I agree." Changing the subject, I asked, "How long will it take to get home from here?"

"Twenty minutes if we hurry."

And so we pulled out onto the road, homeward bound. Sonic wasn't just loving. He was a hero. And now I couldn't wait to meet his friends.

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

"Right there," I pointed to the long driveway of Chris' house. It was lined with palm trees, and ended with the garage some distance away.

"Uh, it looks a little short for a plane, but I'll make do," judged Tails as the plane gradually descended. By now, Cream's light-headedness had gone away, and sleepiness took its place. She'll get some proper rest once we land.

A moment later, Tails made a perfect three-point landing in the driveway. We slowed down and stopped right before the garage door. Fortunately, Chuck left it open for us, so we could sit around inside and wait for Chuck and Chris to get back. Tails slowly and carefully turned the plane around in the driveway, so that it could be immediately ready for its next takeoff, before turning off the engine.

"So this is where you've been staying since you came here, Sonic?" wondered Tails.

I leaped out of the plane and onto the ground before looking over the house. "Yeah. Isn't it way past cool?"

After climbing down from the plane, Tails also examined the garage. I could see it in his eyes that he was already geeking out. "Way past! I mean, who lives here? Whoever he is, he must be an inventor or something!"

Cream unbuckled and, carrying Cheese, flapped her ears to disembark from the Tornado. She wandered over to a chair in the grage and sat down with Cheese in her lap.

After a moment of studying the garage, Tails turned back to me. "Do the people living here know you're staying here?"

"Oh yeah. I wouldn't be here otherwise," I answered. "Four people live here, but only two of them know about me."

"Why only two?"

"Well, strange as it is, this world's apparently never had Mobians before," I answered.

"Yeah, that _is_ strange," mused Tails. "The way I see it, if we're in a world that has its own version of Overlanders and Station Square, then chances are we've been sent to a parallel universe."

"That's what I've been thinking too. At first I thought I was blown back in time, until I saw all the modern tech the Overlanders had," I responded.

"I've not seen much of this world's Overlander's technology yet," said Tails, "but I'm sure I'll get the opportunity to find out." Taking another look at the garage, and all the tools and machines arranged neatly within the space, he asked, "So how did you come to find this place?"

"It's quite a story, so I'll start right after the Chaos Control incident." I took a breath, ready to relate my story. "'K, so I woke up in the middle of town, surrounded by cars, people, and cops that showed up. I _think_ they wanted to experiment on me like they did Cream-" Unfortunately, this garnered a small whimper from Cream. I patted the young rabbit's head. "Sorry, Cream. I know it was scary, but now you're sake and sound." Cream smiled at that.

"Okay, so I evaded the cops, got some time to think things over, and then some group of police Formula One racers who called themselves the S-Team ran me out of town... almost. I managed to evade them, but their leader - the Highway Star, is he called? - is probably more cocky than me even. Said he wants to be the fastest guy in this town."

"Sounds like you've got yourself a little competition," chuckled Tails.

"Oh, you should have seen his face when I pulled off a sonic boom right in front of him!" I chuckled at the memory, though I hadn't stuck around to see the guy's shock. "Anyway, once I shook off the S-Team, I decided to get a bird's-eye view of the city before moving on to other places. Good thing I didn't. I had leaped off a cliff to get one last view of the city, but, to my horror, found I was going to land in a pool." I shuddered. "I would have drowned had it not been for a young kid named Chris who lives here."

"Is he here?" Tails asked.

"Not yet," I answered. "He went out with his grandpa; bowling, I think. They'll be back in a few minutes, probably."

Cream, who had been silently listening, spoke up. "But Mr. Tails, how did you know we were in... in that place?"

"Oh, right, I still need to tell my part of the story!" the fox realized. "Okay, so I woke up in a farm somewhere. It was nighttime, just like back home, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the Tornado was with me. Unfortunately, it was pretty beat-up, having suffered engine damage during our battle last night. It took me most of the night, but I finally got it to fly."

"No wonder you look tired," I noted. "You should get some rest, buddy."

"Thanks. I'll definitely be needing it." He stifled a yawn. "When I woke up the next morning, I got out the Miles Electric too see if anything had changed, since, y'know, we're on another world. I was surprised to find I were picking up Overlander TV stations. I decided to do a little channel surfing, and I came to the news channel. That's how I found out about Cream and Cheese."

"What about the planes you sent in? Weren't those the ones you were going to send in before things went haywire?"

"They were," the fox responded. "Good thing I also had the message-delivering planes still lying around. Did you get my message?"

"I sure did!" I responded, giving my buddy a thumbs-up. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't." Glancing down at Cream, I saw that she was cuddling Cheese, who was fast asleep. Tails yawned. That Chao had some great ideas...

"So Cream," Tails spoke gently so as not to awaken Cheese, "are you okay with telling your side of the story?"

The young rabbit shuddered at the memory, as well she should, because no one should experiment on children.

"Um... Well, Cheese and I woke up in the night on top of a giant sign... Then bright lights flashed in our faces as a giant truck brought a ladder to me... Then... someone put cloths in our faces, and we fell asleep... Then we woke up in that horrible building... Um... How long was I there, Mr. Sonic?"

"I think it's been about fifteen hours," I responded.

"Fifteen _hours_?!" Tails almost shrieked. "Sonic, they experimented on her for fifteen hours?!"

I looked over to make sure Cheese was still asleep. "Well, given the time she woke up, it may have been only one or two hours," I admitted. "Cream did say she was surprised she was there for fifteen hours. At least they didn't experiment on her while she was out cold... that I know of."

"But still, no one should be experimented on like that!" I secretly hoped Cream would not have nightmares tonight.

"I know, bud, but these Overlanders are different than the ones back home. By the way, did they ever experiment on Mobians before?"

"Not at all. They've been living in harmony for centuries, even though it's not often they cross into each other's territory." I understood that it was rarer for an Overlander to be in Mobian territory than for a Mobian to be in Overlander territory. Rouge and Shadow still worked for GUN, which was comprised mainly of Overlanders.

"Oh, and Chris told me a couple things about this planet that are pretty different than Mobius."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Well, for one, they call this planet Earth, and the Overlanders here are known as humans."

"Humans," Tails repeated.

"Yep!" I confirmed.

"So _that's_ where phrases like 'only human' come from..." pondered the fox.

"Will we see Miss Amy again?" Cream's voice came from her spot in the chair.

I felt for her, I really did. She missed home as much as I did, and Cream had not seen her mother all day. But as for Amy... this was better news.

"I'm sure she made it here too. Same with Knuckles. They'll pop up soon, don't worry!" I winked. Then I noticed Tails take on a concerned expression. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked.

I nodded slowly. "Yup. _He's_ here too." I don't even heed to say who "he" is, but I'll give you a hint: his name sounds like a breakfast food.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

"Ready, Chris?" Grandpa asked as we pulled into the driveway.

"My body is ready," I joked.

Grandpa pulled up next to the biplane, and I must admit: the plane is a bit smaller than I thought it would be. From what I saw, it could seat two, and had the word "SONIC" printed on the side. Obviously its pilot was a big fan of Sonic.

Once Grandpa turned off the engine, we got out of the car and headed toward the garage. There they were: Sonic, Cream, Cheese, and what appeared to be... a Mobian fox? I would find out soon enough. I needed to tell myself to calm my heart rate.

Just then Sonic turned to us. "Hey, welcome back!" he greeted. He headed over to us, and the Mobian fox followed behind.

"I'm Chuck, and this is my grandson Chris," Grandpa introduced us.

"My name is Miles Prower, but everyone calls me Tails," the fox introduced. I could see why. Was it unusual for Mobians to have two tails? I would have to ask later.

"My name is Cream," introduced the young rabbit, "and this is my Chao friend Cheese."

"Chao?" I was confused.

"Chao are cute little creatures found on our world," Sonic explained. "They're pretty rare these days."

"Does he speak?" I asked Cream.

"Cheese doesn't speak," Cream said. "But he does speak in his own way, as all Chao do."

As if on cue, the Chao flew out of Cream's grasp, and greeted me with "Chao chao!", which startled me a little bit. Tails giggled at this.

"It's okay; he's friendly," he reassured. I smiled. They were definitely worthy friends of Sonic's, and I knew immediately they would be friends of mine.

Just then Grandpa returned from looking over the plane. Approaching Tails, he said with wonder, "So you're the pilot of the plane, Tails?"

"Yep!" he said proudly. "This is the Tornado, my pride and joy!"

"So you _built_ it too?" Grandpa asked incredulously.

"I sure did!" Tails blushed a little.

There was a stunned pause.

"...How old are you?" Grandpa finally asked.

"I'm eight years old," the fox replied, mot missing a beat. I was a little surprised they measured age the same way we do.

"You guys have ages on your world?" I asked, even though I shouldn't really be surprised.

"We sure do!" Sonic answered. "I'm fifteen, and Cream here is six."

"Do you mind if I examine the controls?" Grandpa asked Tails.

"Not at all!" he permitted. "Just don't touch anything."

Grandpa climbed onto the wing very slowly - "My legs weren't what they used to be," he groaned - and peeked inside the plane. This left me to think about just how mature their ages are compared to us.

Whoa... Sonic is only a teenager. No one will believe me if I tell the people at school (which starts again in two days) that a teen risked his life to save a young child from the depths of the most secure government facility in the US. The only things our teens do is sit around on their phones all day, or maybe pop by the college safe room in more extreme cases (no offense, dear readers). Not to mention Tails is only _eight_ , and he is capable of flying a plane all by himself, not to mention he _built_ it himself. Just... wow.

Grandpa lifted a large, rough-looking bag from the back seat of the Tornado. "What's in here?" he asked.

"Inside the bag are several small airplane-like devices gapable of generating electromagnetic pulses," Tails replied, as if it were obvious. Heading over to Grandpa, Tails and I helped him down. The fox opened the bag and handed one of the devices to Grandpa. It was smaller than any paper airplane I could ever make. Grandpa was speechless in awe as he fingered the device.

"I made them myself," Tails spoke quietly.

"These... these are ingenious," Grandpa whispered. "How did you make them? This technology is not of this world."

"I made them back on my world. Besides, Mobians did always have more advanced technology than Overlanders. No offense, Chuck."

"None taken. Oh, what was the second species name you said?"

"Overlanders? They're what you call humans."

"Oh, okay."

While they were talking, I knew I had to bring up the issue about safety. Now that I knew it was all done in love, I was not as angry at him as I had been. But I still need to talk to him. But it turned out that Sonic noticed my expression first.

"What's wrong, Chris?" he asked. Hopefully Grandpa wouldn't overhear; he was involved in gearhead talk with Tails.

"Well... Do you know just how dangerous Area 99 really is?"

"Security cameras with laser turrets? Unexpected power outages? Guards with guns? Yeah, that's dangerous. Nothing compared to-"

"No, that's not what I meant. What I meant is that you could have thrown the whole country into turmoil, and later be executed for your crimes. But I'm not mad at you because you did it for a worthy cause. I learned that it was out of love that you rescued Cream."

Sonic just smiled. It was an understanding smile, one that you might give a friend of yours. He laid a caring hand on my shoulder (I wondered if it was difficult given he's about as tall as my chest).

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Chris. If I'm caught, and believe me, that's not happening any time soon, then things will probably be different with me than with an Overlander. Besides, this is nothing I haven't done before. That reminds me, if I'm going to be staying here a while, I should probably tell you some of my adventures."

"Mr. Sonic has saved us more times than I can remember," piped up Cream as she stifled a yawn. If Sonic went on lots of adventures, then who needs storybooks and fairy tales when you've got a Mobian hedgehog who can run at the speed of sound?

"The Miles Electric can also translate languages, has its own radar, and can even pick up TV stations!" Tails was showing Grandpa a tablet unlike any I had ever seen.

"And you also built this yourself."

"From scratch," Tails answered.

"Incredible," Grandpa replied. "Well, did you know that I'm also an inventor? I should show you some of the things I've made."

He almost ran to the garage, and Tails followed behind him. I even thought I heard him laugh in his giddy excitement.

He picked up Sonic's headset he had left on one of the counters in the garage. "This is a headset I made last year," Grandpa said. "Not only does it have two-way radio, but it also has an infrared scope that can be swapped out for a night vision scope."

"Wow, that looks really neat!" Tails commented. "Were these the ones you used in the mission to rescue Cream and Cheese?"

"Indeed they were!" Grandpa beamed. "They really came in handy, especially since my theory on the infrared security sensors proved to be correct."

"You seem excited," Tails pointed out.

"Why shouldn't I be?" he nearly exclaimed. "It's a real joy to be able to work with a master scientist from another world!"

"Well, I'm not exactly a-"

"You really are from another world, aren't you?" Grandpa asked for confirmation.

"That's right. We come from a planet called Mobius."

"Hm. Where is it in relation to Earth?"

Tails thought for a moment. "I don't know... mostly because I've never heard of Earth before. However, I _do_ know that there is a way we can get back home.

"How?"

"I spoke with Sonic earlier, and we agreed that all will be explained once our friends Amy and Knuckles get here."

"Did they make it here as well?"

"I strongly believe they did."

I had been listening to Tails and Grandpa this whole time while Sonic stood by. Cream had already fallen asleep. Then I remembered something: Had Ella and Tanaka heard the plane? It'd been a wonder they hadn't come out by now! What happened?

"What if Ella and Mr. Tanaka find out about the Mobians?" I presented to Grandpa as calmly as possible.

"Remember the note I left? It said for them to stay in the house for a few days while I work on a 'secret project.'"

"And what about the plane?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, my boy. They'll think it's just me playing with the generator again."

I chuckled. "That was really clever, Grandpa." To Sonic, I said, "If you want to go somewhere, could you please try not to be seen by the public, at least for now?"

The hedgehog shrugged. "I don't think I can guarantee that, Chris. But hey, I can roll around at the speed of sound. Nobody will know what it was that passed them by."

I sighed. I think his laid-back attitude was already starting to get to me. "Just... be careful, okay?" He rewarded me with a smirk. Me... no comment.

"Well, I'm going to prepare lunch for everyone," Grandpa announced as he turned toward the garage door. "Rest easy, Tails, and Chris, you can use this time to get to know your new friends better." (Yes, Grandpa can cook; he offered to fill in for Ella when she got a cold a month ago.)

As he left the garage, I thought of his words. He called us friends. I haven't even known Tails, Cream, and Cheese for ten minutes. Not only were they the right kind of friends for me, they were the _best_ kind. We could go on all sorts of adventures. Now Grandpa even has a lab partner!

As I looked from Cream and Cheese, then to Tails, then to Sonic, I could not help but feel excitement for all the fun time we would have together. Not only had my wish been fulfilled, it had been fulfilled a hundredfold... and this gift would keep on giving for as long as they were here.

* * *

 **A/N:** Shorter than the last chapter, but some of the best things come in small packages! Here are some of the key differences with the episode:

 _-There was absolutely no need for Chris and Chuck to drive all the way to Area 99 if Sonic could just run there._

 _-Added more fluff to the last scene. Also split it into two scenes._

 _-Merged the first three scenes._

 _-Replaced the destructive cameras with guards._

 _-Added **character development!** *angelic choir*_

 _-Created an all-new scene with Ella and Tanaka._

 _-Created an all-new scene with Chris and Chuck going bowling._

 _-Removed the final Eggman scene. I'm merging that with the first scene of the next episode._

 _-Added a little doubt for Sonic in Area 99._

 _-Modern technology!_

 _-Now without cat food!_

 _-Instead of live footage during the day of Cream on the billboard, it's an eyewitness photo taken moments after the Chaos Control event._

I need constructive criticism for this one, especially since Chris is heavily used. Chris is a very toxic character in the fanbase, and I wanted to change that. I've always loved Chris, and wanted to spruce up his character. He's not whiny, he's just misunderstood.

If you see ways I can strengthen the writing, or if anyone is OOC, please let me know! Anything helps!

Until next time, do the... Sonic?

That didn't come out right...


	3. I Am the Eggman

_We Are Together Again! Dr. Eggman's Ambitious Invasion_

 ** ** **Note (2/15/20): In a few months, this chapter will be updated to reflect my current writing style, as well as fix some errors.******

 **A/N:** Wooo! 20,000 words!

And yeah, sorry if this is a little delayed. I've been expanding my backlog for this story. So far, I've completed through "Cracking Knuckles" and have started "Techno-Teacher" a couple days ago.

As I said in the last chapter, I placed Station Square in that part of California just south of Santa Maria and Morro Bay. If you live in that area, let me know if you got Sonic's autograph and I'll be more than happy to repost on Twitter! :D

Also I decided to rename some of the E-Series robots so that Eggman doesn't go around saying "Da-Dai-Oh" or "Gorru-Gaooh". However, for lack of a better name, I'm keeping the name Missile Wrist.

Anyway, this was a fun one to write. I named it "I Am the Eggman" after the song, because he's the man with the master plan! Without further ado, and after the review replies, heeeeerre's Missile Wrist Rampage!

* * *

 _ **GuardianDragon98**_

 _1\. Love how you included those subtle fourth wall breaks._  
 _2\. Definitely improved scenes that, for me when I watched the series, used to be impractical._  
 _3\. Giving time to explore side characters like those scientists in Area 99 and giving them names so they don't feel one-dimensional._  
 _4\. I am curious how you're going to do the Shadow Saga since Sonic already knows Shadow in this rewrite of yours._

 _This update was worth the wait!_

 **I love me some fourth wall breaks. In fact, I can't get enough of them. Most fourth wall breaks will come from Sonic, but as per the original anime, I'll try to have Amy, Eggman, and the Chaotix break the fourth wall to some extent as well.**

 **Improving scenes is how we roll! That's what defines a rewrite!**

 **I'm trying to only name characters who will be recurring. I'll admit, the Area 99 scene was fun to write.**

 **I hear the Shadow and Metarex Sagas are favorites among fans. And yes, Sonic already knows Shadow. I've got big plans, my friends... *Darth Sidious voice* Big plans...**

 **I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and I hope you enjoy this one as well!**

 _ **The Dragon Legend  
** (Chapter 1)  
_

 _Nice, but you didn't need to put the S-Team's radio chatter in bold. It was already obvious what was happening there._

 **I plan to split that scene into two or three smaller scenes. I also plan to change Tails' and Sam's perspectives into third-person POVs. It was kinda strange, and I'm only doing first-person in Chris' and Sonic's POVs from now on. An update should come for this chapter some time soon.**

 _ **The Dragon Legend  
** (Chapter 2)_ **  
**

 _Right now, what I'm wondering is: Why do Chuck and Sonic say "it'll be different for a mobian" as if the law would go easier on him? Because... it wouldn't. If caught, Sonic probably wouldn't get a trial. Just killed and dissected. Humanity is not kind to those that are different._

 **I should change this as well. This doesn't seem to be as big a change as Chapter 1, but it should be changed nonetheless.**

 **On a side note, I loved reading your "Shadow Says" and "Cards Against Mobians"! I've also read what you have for "Shadow's Odyssey" so far, and all I thought as I read was "Welp, there goes Grievous..." and so on. Now we know why Shadow's an anti-hero.**

 _ **The Green Seer**_

 _Oh boy! I love Sonic X, no matter how cringy it gets sometimes. It was my introduction to this franchise and it still holds a special place in my heart. I've wanted to read a rewrite of the series for a while and I'm very happy to have found this story, with long chapters just how I like them!_

 _I'll be honest though, the first person POV is not something I'm very into but I'm willing to compromise. (And you still have third POV as well!) The story is good so far, a few grammatical errors but that always happen so whatever. I do enjoy the new scenes and the better dialogue, and I'm very curious how you'll go about writing the second season. If you decide to adapt more games into the storyline that would be amazing. It would be great to see the Riders series or Unleashed introduced in this new setting with those characters._

 _About Chris now; yeah, I had no idea he was so hated among the fans earlier on. I just thought he was a meh character personally. I was always more interested in Sonic, his friends and Eggman. The Metarex saga I believe was a really cool concept. Could have been better but for an original idea it was pretty good. I do hope you'll enjoy watching it._

 _I'm happy you're writing this story and can't wait for the next installment._

 **I've always loved Sonic X, even if I'm a more recent Sonic fan. It's my favorite Sonic TV show, right up there with SatAM. This makes me wish there was a new Sonic anime, or even a serious animated TV series.**

 **While this is my first time writing in first-person, I find it rather effective. The only characters who will have first person are Chris, Sonic, and Cosmo in the Metarex Saga rewrite.**

 **I also found the second season somewhat inconsistent with the first season in some ways. As for more game adaptations, unfortunately, I don't think that will happen, but I _do_ plan to show you what I'm made of at the end of Season 2!**

 **Also, I think Chris helps to define Sonic X. You can't have Sonic X without Chris. You just can't. In fact, every time in think of Station Square, I think of Chris. As he is a very toxic and touchy character, I'm trying to be careful with how I use him.**

 **As for the Metarex Saga... Where do I begin? It's _awesome_. The Metarex really are awesome bad guys. I can't wait to see the generals! Right now, I just finished "Trick Sand" and am about to move on to "Ship of Doom". The two episodes I'm looking forward to most are "Teasing Time" and "A Revolutionary Tale". I've got big plans for Dark Sonic. I am _so_ rewriting it once I finish Season 2. Of the 35 pages of ideas I have, five are dedicated to what I've seen of the Metarex Saga so far.**

 **And yes, I know what happens to Cosmo... :'(**

 **I'm glad you enjoy the story so far, and I hope you enoy this chapter as well!**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I do not own any elements in this story except for my own characters. Sonic the Hedgehog is owned by SEGA, who does not endorse or affiliate itself with this work of fiction. Real world locations and organizations are used fictitiously. Real world people will be mentioned, but will not appear, in order to adhere with "Entries not allowed" Rule 4._

...Still don't see why disclaimers are used if this is naturally a work of fiction...

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Sunday had arrived in the city of Station Square. The weather was beautiful, with only a few spotty clouds. It was one of those days that nothing could go wrong.

But Dr. Eggman had other ideas. This was the day he would start his conquest. Today he would lay the foundation of his glorious Eggman Empire.

Eggman woke up at 10:00 that morning, much later than he had wanted to. This was on account of reorganizing after the unexpected Chaos Control event. As he prepared to seize the day (and hopefully this planet while he's at it), the memories of the past thirty hours were fresh on his mind.

According to the calendar this world observed, it was late Friday night in August that he had arrived. But he wouldn't know about this until later, since he had blacked out. The Chaos Emeralds alone had never caused Chaos Control on that scale before. Eggman assumed it was the wiring of the machine, or the damage it had received when E-13 Guardian was destroyed. Either way, here he was, safe within the confines of his fortress.

Eggman remembered doing a double take right then. Was it possible that he was never Chaos Controlled? He had to find out if he was Chaos Controlled or not. He had awaken in his sleeping quarters, and assumed his robots had put him to bed. Rising from his bed, he headed toward his command center, which was just down the hall from his room. Upon entering, he saw the broken Chaos Roboticizer, and stifled a yawn. Being unconscious for a while did nothing to improve his need for sleep.

The only one in the room was Bokkun, who was studying the broken Chaos Roboticizer. Beaming, he turned to his creator.

"Good to see you up, Dr. Eggman!" his over-cheery voice echoed through the room.

"Bokkun," Eggman started, "have you seen Decoe and Bocoe?"

"Oh, they're downstairs organizing a crew to clean up the Chaos Roboticizer. Um... That was what you would do, right?"

"Yes, Bokkun, carry on with the cleanup." Eggman was tired, and didn't want to deal with the aftermath of the Chaos Control event that night. But he just _had_ to know if he was still on Mobius or not.

He wandered over to the console, which had several large viewscreens situated above it. Surveying the room, he saw that, aside from a few pieces of metal and glass embedded in the walls, the only damage done to the room was smoke, which had blackened several spots on the walls. Nothing his hench-bots and Badniks couldn't fix.

He pressed the button for the outside security cameras, and blinked in surprise at what he saw. Instead of all his security measures, ranging from floodlights and barbed-wire fences, he saw... a beach. As Eggman watched the waves crashing on the shore, he was filled with conflicting emotions.

He was not surprised to find that he was indeed Chaos Controlled to a different location. But he was also shocked to find that his entire fortress was transported to another place. It remained to be seen whether he was on another planet entirely.

Eggman pulled up the radar, and zoomed all the way out. He quickly found out that he wasn't on Mobius. This filled him with many questions.

 _"How did Chaos Control transport my whole fortress to another planet?"_

 _"Was that annoying pincushion and his friends sent here as well?"_

 _"Is my fortress' foundation stable?"_

 _"What about the underground Badnik factory?"_

 _"Can I get back home?"_

He quickly answered Question 5: No way was he getting back home without the Chaos Emeralds, if they were on this planet at all. He decided to make sure of this. Walking over to the Chaos energy scanner, he pressed a button. Nothing. He figured it was damaged in the explosion. Time to add repairs to his ever-growing bucket list.

As for Sonic and his friends, he assumed they were also here. Same with the Emeralds. There was no reason they shouldn't be on this planet. But how were they not in the fortress, and he still was?

Just then Decoe came through the door, followed by various Badniks, among them Egg Pawns, Buzz Bombers, and Motobugs.

"You're awake, Doctor," Decoe stated the obvious. "I had to bring lots of Badniks - this cleanup is gonna be a doozy."

"I was afraid of that," grumbled Eggman.

"You four, remove anything embedded in the walls," the tall, yellow robot instructed four Buzzbombers. To the Motobugs, he said, "And you Buzz Bombers, clean the ash ad smoke off the walls. Egg Pawns, it's time to dismantle and remove the broken Chaos Roboticizer." To Eggman, he asked, "Do you want to recycle the Chaos Roboticizer parts?"

"Yes," Eggman replied. Just because he was a supervillain did not mean he didn't believe in environmental friendliness.

"Decoe," Eggman started," I need to know if the foundation is safe and the base is in one piece."

"We've already checked that," reported Decoe. "The base is perfectly sturdy. It's almost as if it's been here for long time."

"And the factory?"

"Completely intact, Doctor. However, the hidden runway is blocked off by the natural landscape of this island. I have already dispatched a team of Badniks to deal with it."

"I meant to ask this earlier, but where is Bocoe?"

"I regret to inform you that Bocoe has sustained moderate damage from the explosion. Fortunately, we are programmed to resist any elements that would otherwise cause us to, as organics put it, black out."

Eggman nodded. "Carry on with your work. I'm going to get some sleep. Tomorrow, we'll make sure our Badnik army is in order, maybe create some new ones, and study the lie of the land."

That was Friday night. Eggman went to sleep that night, knowing that, as long as Sonic wasn't here, he could easily turn this world into the Eggman Empire. While he currently lacked great resources like his fearsome Egg Fleet, or the supplies to build a new Death Egg, he still had a massive army of Badniks and E-Series robots at his disposal.

The Eggman Empire was Dr. Ivo Robotnik's dream. It would encompass the whole world, and would see everyone, except for a select whitelisted few, turned into robots. It saw the ultimate demise of Sonic and his friends. It saw the rise of its star attraction, Eggmanland.

These thoughts helped him drift off to sleep that night.

Eggman spent all day Saturday ordering his robots to make sure the Badniks were in order, trying to keep Bokkun out of his candy stash, making new robots, repairing Bocoe, and researching the planet. At a closer inspection, he found that he was on Santa Rosa Island, which was part of a national park. Checking the satellite map using something this world's Overlanders call the Internet, he found that the nearest mainland was a country called the United States of America. He quickly found that the nearest city he could invade was Los Angeles, until his eyes rested on the name of another city.

Station Square.

Eggman gasped. How on Mobius, er, _Earth_ , did Station Square exist in _this_ plane of reality too?! He knew it was destroyed by Perfect Chaos some time ago. Choosing not to think too deeply about it, he decided _it_ would be his target instead.

Now it was Sunday. Time for the world to be introduced to the likes of Dr. Eggman.

The mad genius contemplated his choices. He could easily launch an entire army of robots and take the city by storm. Sure, it would get the job done, but should that pesky pincushion and his friends show up, he wanted to make sure he did not diminish his resources too quickly. This time, he wanted to test the waters.

The Egg Fleet was certainly out of the question; the sole reason was that it was not Chaos Controlled to Earth. There was nothing to stop him from building a new cruiser, though. But for right now, he pondered what he should send. What would bring the world to its knees? What would make those miserable Overlanders call Dr. Eggman their master?

He finally decided on one of his E-Series robots, along with a few swarm of Badniks. While he knew which Badniks to deploy, he had no idea which of his many Badniks to choose. E-66 Blacksmith was devastating. E-90 Super Sweeper was treacherous. Even weaker E-Series robots like E-88 Lightning Bird could strike fear into the hearts of those unsuspecting Overlanders.

"You appear conflicted in your decision, Doctor," Decoe pointed out.

Eggman sighed. "Thank you, Captain Obvious."

"Will the Robot Selection Cards assist you?"

"Yes. Are they in the drawer over there where they usually are?"

"They are. I made sure of it during the cleanup efforts. I know how much you can be conflicted in choosing robots."

As Decoe walked over to retrieve the deck of cards, Eggman linked his hands behind his head. "Not always. But when it comes to tasks in which many different kinds of robots can accomplish, that's when I need the cards."

Decoe quickly found the cards and handed them to his master. The mustached villain opened the case, revealing the cards. Any time he created a new robot, he used another machine to create a new card for it, which meant it could randomly be chosen by the Robot Selection Machine that was set up in the room. It was a large slot machine he had taken great pains to achieve from an auction at Casino Night Zone. It cost him a lot of rings to buy, but it was still discounted on account of the fact that it was an older model. He had since modified it to randomly select a robot. All he needed to do was insert some or all of the cards into a slot, close the hatch, pull the lever, and watch the slot machine display the chosen robot.

Eggman opened the case, revealing the over one hundred cards. He laid them out upon the console, and filed out all of the E-Series cards. Then he put the rest of the cards back in the case before inserting the E-Series cards into the slot of his Robot Selection Machine. He closed the hatch, pulled the lever, and watched the slots spin.

Eggman knew this seemed unnecessary, redundant, and over-the-top, but he was an over-the-top villain, a villain with class. Besides, don't all mad scientists have giant inventions that can do simple things, even if their creators know there's an app for that?

As the slots began to slow down, Eggman recognized a few robots that could make the short list. Would it be E-74 Weasel? Or E-42 Checker-Wrecker? Likely not, for the slots passed them by, and it would take a whole revolution of the slots for them to show up again.

Eggman's eyes were glued to the slots as they started to stop on E-35 Fujita... but they inched forward again, stopping ultimately on arguably one of the best robot choices: E-23 Missile Wrist.

The mad genius snickered in delight. What a wonderful first robot to unleash on Station Square. Soon they would be vanquished and the Eggman Empire founded on their remains!

He was so excited to get ready for the invasion that he almost forgot to look at the selection menu on the touchscreen near the center of the console. It displayed three options: "Confirm", "Roll Again", and "Eject Cards". With glee, he pressed "Confirm". The cards immediately ejected, and Eggman knew that his chosen robot was being prepared. The Robot Selection Machine was directly hooked up to the underground Badnik factory, which also served as their barracks. Missile Wrist was being prepared for the mission right now.

He picked up the cards, then pulled a rubber band from his suit pocket. Using it to bind the E-Series cards together (he wanted to use them for future attacks), he handed it and the card case to Decoe.

"Is this choice satisfactory, Doctor?" Decoe asked as he put the cards back in the drawer.

"Satisfactory?" Eggman stood up. "It's _perfect_! Well, there are other robots, but not for first invasions like this one."

Eggman practically ran toward the metro elevator that was cleverly concealed among his machinery.

"Are you personally escorting your robots again, Doctor?" Decoe asked. Eggman turned around.

"Of course! Why would I ever watch my own conquest from the back seat?"

"Understood, Doctor."

"While I'm gone, I want you to oversee Bocoe's repairs, and above all else, keep Bokkun out of my candy supply!"

"Yes, sir!" Decoe saluted.

Eggman pressed the button for the elevator, and the door opened immediately. The elevator was always set up for a quick escape, so Eggman could head directly to ground level or the underground factory right away.

He stepped inside and pressed the button for the underground robot factory. The doors closed, and the elevator descended at an incredible rate. So fast did it move that he almost reconsidered taking the stairs, but the elevator was much faster.

It took mere seconds for Eggman to reach the bottom. The door opened, and Eggman found himself in the launch room. Directly in front of him was a giant runway, with a giant, five-story-high door at the start of it. There were stairs that descended to several levels of the Badnik factory, but Eggman did not need them, not when the Eggmobile was conveniently parked right near the door. He stepped into his personal hovercraft and entered a PIN number that verified his identity as its rightful owner and pilot. The hovercraft could be customizable with a pair of sidecars for his former hench-bots Orbot and Cubot. He had yet to make some for Decoe and Bocoe. Bokkun, on the other hand, didn't need one, as he had a built-in jetpack.

He sat there in the Eggmobile and waited for Missile Wrist to emerge from the giant door. Moments later, Eggman was a little startled as the door slowly groaned upward. Behind the door was a long corridor flanked by many machines and Badniks. Missile Wrist emerged from the corridor. Eight E-33 Buballs were floating above the giant robot. Their name may have been strange, and Eggman was pending a name change, but their purpose was simple - escort and airlift large ground-faring Badniks and E-Series robots.

Eggman snickered. He was sure the city would be upon its knees by sundown.

He slowly piloted the Eggmobile into takeoff position, then began to pick up speed. The Buballs generated a small field of energy around Missile Wrist, which lifted it into the air, and followed their creator. A door at the end of the runway opened, and Eggman and Missile Wrist emerged into open air.

He looked down to see what the island looked like. Not a ideal place to build his fortress, but the secret runway was very cleverly concealed. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

He set his sights ahead of him. He would have to memorize the way back, but why do that when Decoe could help direct him back? Nevermind that; he was about to to take his first step into a larger world - a first step that would lead him to world dominion, starting with Station Square.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Knuckles the Echidna was wandering aimlessly through the sewers of a city he was sent to two nights ago. The smell was eyebrow-raising, but tolerable. Much was on his tired mind.

It was Chaos Control that sent him here. Or, at least, that's what he _thought_ it was. But it couldn't have been. Chaos Control had never been caused on a scale that massive before by the Chaos Emeralds alone. Knuckles thought he knew his Chaos Emeralds. Apparently there was still much to learn.

Then again, Chaos Control must not have been caused solely by the Emeralds' power. They _were_ , after all, powering a machine that must have influenced their power somehow. Perhaps the shrapnel from the robot he destroyed damaged the machine in such a way so that power was forced back to the Chaos Emeralds, and thus invoking Chaos Control. He decided not to think about it too deeply, though. He was tired.

Whatever the cause, he had nearly thirty-six hours to think about his situation. What a way to go for the last of his kind and sole guardian of the Master Emerald.

Ever since he had awakened in the sewer, he had decided not to leave it, as he didn't want to know what this world's Overlanders thought about seeing a Mobian in their midst. That would spell immediate trouble.

Instead, he had stuck to aimlessly wandering the sewers, trying to find a safe place to emerge. Two consecutive night in this dark, damp place was not his cup of tea, and he had to stay on one side of the sewer passage to avoid treading water - water that would be calf-deep for an Overlander, but knee-deep for a Mobian like him. He tried using his senses to see if there were any Chaos Emeralds nearby. He thought there was a very faint signal of a Chaos Emerald, but the exhausted echidna dismissed it. Every now and then he would climb the ladders and look out of the manholes to decide if it was worth the risk to leave. He knew he had to at some point.

Yesterday, looking out the manholes had paid off. He had realized he was in a city of some sort. But he also spotted a figure moving carefully through the city.

An all-too familiar figure.

Amy Rose.

 ** _Flashback to last night_**

 _To say the least, Knuckles was surprised to see the pink hedgehog. She was wearing what appeared to be a worn cloak over her to conceal her identity, but the echidna recognized her nonetheless._

 _"Amy!" he whispered as loud as he dared, so as not to attract the attention of any Overlanders. Fortunately, the manhole was in an alley, which was a inconspicuous place. He considered it sheer luck that he was able to find her at that exact time._

 _Fortunately for Knuckles, she heard him the first time, and quickly hurried over. She was holding two bottles of water._

 _"Here, hand me those," the echidna instructed. Amy handed him the water bottles, and Knuckles placed them on the floor before helping her down the ladder and into the sewer._

 _"Am I glad to see you!" Amy sighed in relief. "Good to know I wasn't the only one sent here_ _."_

 _"Yeah," Knuckles replied as Amy ditched the cloak she had been wearing. "Now I can finally get rid of this," she said._

 _"Let me guess, you were using it to try to blend in?"_

 _"Yeah. I got it at the landfill," she answered distastefully. "It's the best I could think of."_

 _"Nobody saw you?" Knuckles wanted to make sure she didn't draw unwanted attention._

 _"I did draw a few gazes, though, but nobody looked twice. That's because I hid in the allies most of the time." She picked up the water bottles. "That's not something I'm willing to do again. Anyway, I was able to use some loose change to pay for some water. Want some?"_

 _"Yeah, thanks." He took the bottle offered to him, unscrewed the cap, and took a swig of water._

 _"Don't drink it all now," cautioned Amy. "We don't know how long we'll be down here. By the way... why_ are _we down here?"_

 _"Hiding from the public. They can't know about us... at least, not yet."_

 _"...I understand," Amy responded after a moment's thought. "Have you been down here this whole time?"  
_

 _"Yeah, ever since I woke up on this world. I'm hating the sewers more and more."_

 _"I know; I hate them already," Amy replied. "How long do you plan to be down here?"_

 _"Hopefully only one more day. Then we'll have to brave the public, like it or not."_

 _"One more day?!" Amy was incredulous, but at least she kept her voice down._

 _"I don't like it either, Amy," Knuckles responded. "But it is what it is. Either we can stay here for a little while and come out when the time is right, or we can immediately blow our cover and bring the whole town running. Take your pick."_

 _Amy thought for a bit. Knuckles was a great friend, but sometime he could be so annoying. "We'll stay here. But_ only _for one day. Besides, I haven't eaten anything since Chaos Control."_

 _"Me neither. But we've dealt with worse before, right?" Knuckles was referring to the great war that had fought last year - the war against illusions._

 _ **End flashback**_

It had been thirty-six whole hours since they were sent to this planet, and Knuckles and Amy had exchanged their sides of the story since then. While Knuckles had spent all of his time in the sewer since waking up there, Amy had awoken near the landfill, where she found the ragged cloak. Needless to say, she was grateful to be away from that place.

Their night there was mostly sleepless, and maybe a little cold. They used the discarded cloak as a blanket, and it did not help matters that Knuckles' snoring kept her up.

Morning finally came, and Knuckles woke up at last, much to Amy's relief. There had been just a little bickering over whether they would leave the sewer immediately. Knuckles said he would know when the time was right.

Now, they were walking together through the sewer. Knuckles appeared to have a lot of thoughts going through his poor, tired brain - the same thoughts that racked him since he arrived here.

"Something on your mind?" Amy asked, trying to ease the tension.

"It's all my fault," Knuckles muttered. "This whole thing is all my fault. If I hadn't punched that robot the way I did, none of this would have happened! This was a perfectly preventable situation."

Amy felt sympathetic. "You really shouldn't beat yourself over this, Knuckles. You had no idea this would happen. None of us knew." Knuckles simply shook his head, and Amy held his hand for comfort. "Beside, if it's anyone's fault, it's Eggman's. He built that machine to begin with."

"But we're going to starve because of me and my-" he stopped. "You're right, Amy. None of this would have happened if it weren't for Eggman building that machine! Chaos Roboticizer, was it? Something in that machine must have been altered to cause Chaos Control. But hey, at least we stopped Eggman's plan."

Amy smiled. Knuckles was finally seeing things the way she did.

Knuckles pulled away from Amy as he realized something else was wrong. "We have to find a way back. Now."

"Let me guess, the Master Emerald?"

Knuckles grimly nodded. "Yes. We must find all seven Chaos Emeralds and invoke Chaos Control so we can all get home." Knuckles gritted his teeth. "So I can at least keep that pickpocket Rouge off my island!"

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Knuckles. Rouge decided to give up being a jewel thief while we were together as the Resistance."

"Doesn't change the fact that she can always turn back to her old ways," muttered the echidna. "At least she isn't here on this world."

"Yeah, that's true," Amy thought. "Hey, since we're both here, this can only mean Sonic is here as well!"

Knuckles smirked. Amy had eyes only for Sonic, enough to keep Knuckles thinking of ways to tease Sonic about their... ahem... relationship. But not now, though. The situation was too grim.

"You're right," Knuckles nodded. "Hey, did you see anyone else before reuniting?"

"No, sorry," reminisced Amy.

"If I'm right, we all woke up separated from each other, so it's a miracle we managed to-"

"Ohmigosh! Cream!" Amy exclaimed. "She must be so lonely and afraid!"

"All the more reason to reunite and try to get home," Knuckles said with determination. "Hopefully she's in good hands right now."

"I hope so too." She counted on her fingers who all was Chaos Controlled to this planet. "So those who were sent here were me, you, Sonic, Cream, Cheese, Tails, and Eggman and his hench-bots?"

Knuckles nodded. "Sounds about right. And with Eggman here, and that's still unconfirmed right now, he's gonna keep us guessing when his next attack will be."

"At least Sonic won't be bored." She knew Sonic could be driven insane if Eggman wasn't around to occupy him sometimes.

"Yeah. He's not bored because I'll bet he's exposed himself to the Overlanders already!"

That was a big accusation. Amy tried to hold in her temper. She didn't like it when anyone spoke negatively of Sonic.

"What makes you say that?" was all she said.

"What makes me say that? Sonic's always reckless, always throwing himself headfirst into danger, no matter the cost. And you know what?" He stopped pacing. "I kinda like him that way."

Amy felt relieved. At least he wasn't speaking trash talk about her self-proclaimed boyfriend. That was the last thing she needed.

"Without Sonic, the war against Infinite would be far from over," she added. "On a related topic, have you considered starting a new Resistance once we're all gathered?"

"Er, no. It's too early for that here, I'm afraid. Besides, that was for when Eggman actually succeeded in conquering Mobius. This time around, the Overlander don't know us, and so far, there's no sign of Eggman. So I say wait a little while longer."

"But when Eggman _does_ show up," Amy said, "we'll be ready."

"You bet!"

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

It was a beautiful day to be at the beach. Kids were building sand castles. Teens were surfing. Some of the older folks were just reading or sunbathing. Basically, it was a typical day at the Station Square Beach, but there were more people than usual today. The lifeguards were going to be busy...

A man and his girlfriend were playing volleyball. Good thing the nets were set up beforehand, for people sure loved volleyball at this beach.

When the ball bounced to his side, the boyfriend accidentally spiked the ball a little too hard. It landed in the ocean not too far away. Fortunately there was a sea breeze that day, so the ball wasn't washed away.

"Sorry!" he called as he ran toward the ocean to retrieve the ball, but his girlfriend was faster. "That's okay; I got it," she replied.

As she entered the water to retrieve the ball, she couldn't help but notice a dark shadow in the distance. She knew enough about sharks to get out of the water should one be spotted. But Station Square hadn't had a shark attack in nearly sixty years. Besides, this was a little too big to be-

Then it started moving toward her.

Closer and closer.

She soon learned this was no shark.

No, it was far too large and metallic. And tall. It had to be a good fifty feet tall.

Whatever this thing was, it had to be unearthly.

Speaking of unearthly, that was the kind of scream she let out as she ran from the water, abandoning the beach ball, and joined her boyfriend. They, like everyone else, began stampeding and running for their lives as this... _thing_... began to lumber out of the water and onto the beach.

The lifeguard blew his whistle. "Everyone out of the water and off the beach!" he ordered, though his words fell on deaf ears. Besides, they were doing that anyway.

The lifeguard began to descend the lifeguard tower, but the robot had other ideas. He pointed his hand directly at him like a weapon.

"What are you-"

Immediately the robot launched its rocket-like hand at the tower, completely splintering it. Pieces of the tower flew everywhere, and the impact sent the lifeguard flying ten feet away. Fortunately, he escaped with minor injuries.

The robot began to turn away from him, so he took this as his opportunity to call 911. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number.

"911, what is your emergency?" said the operator.

"Uh, there's a giant robot coming ashore at Lakeshore Beach. It sounds crazy, I know, but believe me."

"I believe you. And you're not the only caller. Rest assured we're doing everything we can to keep you safe."

The lifeguard watched as the giant robot began lumbering across the beach. It moved surprisingly quickly for being a large fifty-foot tall robot. The lifeguard cringed as he heard the sound of cars being smashed. He feared this was only the beginning of its rampage. Unfortunately, he was right.

He stood up and, while running to safety, watched the robot cross the street, crushing several more cars in the process. The lifeguard was able to see someone in what looked like a round hovercraft floating near the robot. Even over the screaming of terrified people and the honking of horns, he was able to clearly hear him shout something to the robot.

"Welcome to Station Square, E-23 Missile Wrist!"

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

It was an average Sunday morning here at home.

Actually, scratch that, things will never be "normal" again.

Anyway, Grandpa thought it would be a great idea to treat us to Dunkin' Donuts, so he bought us a box of a dozen donuts. The donut lover that I am, I sat at the plastic table that was set up in the grass near the driveway. Cream and Cheese were also sitting with me. There was also a seat for Tails, but he politefully declined for now; he was busy giving the Tornado a well-needed cleaning. Grandpa was standing by, ready to help out whenever he was needed.

"This is a really nice plane you have, Tails," commented Grandpa as he looked over the small biplane's fuselage.

"Thank you," Tails blushed a little. "But I've been wondering: how have you managed to keep the Tornado a secret from Ella and Tanaka this whole time? Surely the sound of the engine will pique their curiosity."

"Oh, that was easy," Grandpa chuckled.

Tails stopped power-washing the plane and turned to Grandpa, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I told them that I would be working on a "secret project" over the next few days, and that they would hear the sound of an engine occasionally. So far, it's worked."

"But for how long?" Tails was a little worried he would be discovered quickly.

"Oh, don't worry about that," replied Grandpa. "They'll know eventually, but for now, the time just isn't right. I'll know when it is."

"Okay," the fox replied as he began to put the hose away. "Now that I'm more awake, I should probably re-evaluate the Tornado to make sure everything is in order."

"Good idea. Anything I can do to help?"

As they began their work, launching into gearhead talk that went over my head, I turned back to Cream. "Do they have donuts where you come from?" I asked.

"Yes," Cream responded once she finished swallowing, "but Cheese and I have only had them two or three times, and those were only for birthdays or other parties."

"That's sad," I said after a moment's pause. "But now that you and your friends are here, you can have donuts more often! Would you like that?"

"Oh yes! Thank you, Chris!" she exclaimed.

"Chao chao!" Cheese chimed in.

I took it the times they _did_ have donuts, they really liked them. I'm so glad that they could be able to have more of the things they loved now that they were living with me. But there was a twinge of sadness. I was enjoying my friends too much. I chided myself not to become too attached, as they had to leave after they gathered the Chaos Emeralds. But I brushed that thought away as a question came to mind.

"Do you happen to know where Sonic is?"

"Mr. Sonic said he was going on a run," the young rabbit answered. "He wanted to run every day so he could know this planet better." I tried to hide my frown, knowing that Sonic would be caught, but Cream saw through my masquerade. "Is something wrong, Mr. Chris?" I had to smile at the child's politeness.

"Just Chris is fine," I said, "and yes, I'm worried about Sonic. He's going to be seen by everyone!"

"Don't worry, Mr. Chris," reassured Cream. "I'm sure Mr. Sonic will find many places with no people to run."

"But still... Breaking into Area 99 to rescue you is one thing, but exposing himself to the public just for the sake of it is entirely different! When the government finally catches him, he could be put to death for breaking into government territory!" I commended Sonic for his selfless act of love yesterday, but that still did not pardon him for his crime.

Cream shuddered at the memory of Area 99, and I immediately regretted mentioning it. I hope it did not become a trigger word for her. I've never been to Area 99, but if Cream thought it was that bad, then I'm not going there any time soon.

"I know Mr. Sonic, and I know that no one can catch him," Cream answered. "Mr. Chris..." She leaned forward. "Your grandfather would want you to believe..."

Cream was right. It didn't apply just for Area 99. I needed to believe that Sonic could not be caught, no matter how reckless he seemed. I needed to have faith that Sonic would come through. Maybe then Sonic would try to be more careful and-

"Chris?" Grandpa called.

"Yeah?" I called back.

"I'm going to check on Ella and Tanaka. Could you stand by in case Tails needs anything?"

"Sure thing, Grandpa!" I answered.

"I'll be back in less than five minutes!" Grandpa called as he broke into a run toward the house. I stood up. "Could you save me at least one donut for when I'm finished?" I asked Cream.

"Okay, Mr. Chris," she answered sweetly as I headed toward Tails and the Tornado. I couldn't help but smile when I was around her. She is so polite, which is something I can't say of many people today.

I casually glanced at Tails. He was there with a case of tools, busy working on the Tornado. It really amazed me that someone as young as he was was capable of building stuff, as well as actually flying a plane. Here, you have to be in your late teens to early twenties at the earliest if you want to fly.

"Need help with anything?" I asked, hoping to do more than watch.

"Not at the moment," he replied as he tightened a screw. "But could you please turn off the TV in the lab? It's kinda distracting."

"Sure," I replied, and headed into the garage. As I climbed the wooden stairs into Grandpa's lab, I could hear that the TV was left on the news. Grandpa's room was set up as both his research room and bedroom.

The TV remote was left on the desk on the other side of the room. I reached for it, and was about to press the button to turn it off, when I became aware of what the new story was.

"Giant Robot Attacks City"

Sure enough, the live drone footage was recording a giant robot stomping on cars and using its stretchy hands to punch holes in buildings. This was awful. The damage cost would be pretty high.

Need I see more.

Forgetting to pause the TV, I raced down the stairs, almost tripping along the way, and ran out of the garage.

"Guys! You gotta see this!"

"What? What is it?" Tails became flustered.

"Giant robot is invading the city. I thought maybe you might know something about it!"

Wow. That sounded weird coming from me. Usually giant robots exist in fiction, but no, this is _real_. And I shouldn't even be this excited. No, I should be terrified that my own city is being destroyed by a robot.

Immediately Tails leaped up, being careful not to hit his head on the Tornado's wing, and ran after me into the garage. Cream also got up and followed suit with Cheese. "That's gotta be Eggman!" Tails exclaimed as we climbed the stairs.

There's what name Eggman again.

"Who?" I asked.

"I'll explain in a few. First I gotta see what this is."

In seconds, Tails, Cream, and I were standing in front of the TV. Local reporter Mark Lopez was covering the story.

"...believe the man inside that hovercraft is responsible for this robot attack. The police have been called out to deal with the situation. If you are just joining us, a giant robot is wreaking havoc in Station Square. This is not a hoax. We strongly advise you to evacuate the area..."

"Yeah, that's Eggman all right," confirmed Tails before turning to me. "Here, could we mute this real quick?" I reached over for the controller and pressed the mute button.

"Okay, so Dr. Eggman, or Dr. Ivo Robotnik as he is properly called, is an evil genius with an IQ of 300 - about as smart as me."

"Wait, three _hundred_?! Is that even possible?" I was incredulous.

"Yeah. I guess they measure IQ differently in this world?"

"Well, from what my parents told me, 125 is gifted, and it's rare to see people higher than that."

"Huh. Well, I can tell you, Eggman is not a genius for nothing. In fact, he puts it into his robot army, and has been trying to use it to conquer the world and turn it into the Eggman Empire."

"Then that means if he's here... he's already at work doing that!"

"Don't worry, Chris," Tails encouraged. "We've stopped his plans many times before. We can do it again. Hey, wanna hear something funny about him?"

"Sure."

"At the center of this Eggman Empire he wants to create, he has plans for a giant carnival called Eggman Land!"

I laughed a little. "What, really? That's not serious at all!"

"Trust me, Chris, it's _deadly_ serious. It's a theme park where everyone are robots. It's actually no fun at all."

"Gotcha."

Just then Cream looked up from the muted TV and asked the million-dollar question. "When is Sonic coming back?"

"I don't know," answered Tails. "He'll need time to adapt to this world. Give him about half an hour. I'm sure he'll return to fight Eggman in time." Tails turned back to the TV. "In fact, I should probably get out there to stop him, or at least keep him at bay until Sonic returns."

"What are you all doing up here?"

We all turned to see Grandpa emerging through the trap door and entering the room. Immediately his eyes were drawn to the TV. As Tails began explaining the situation to Grandpa, I became more and more frightened the more I looked at the screen. I couldn't believe my city, my very own home city of Station Square, California, was being destroyed by a giant robot. I became afraid that it would come after my house next. Why I was excited earlier, I didn't know.

Before I knew it, Cream and Cheese were by my side, trying to comfort me. "Don't be afraid, Chris," she said sweetly. "Mr. Sonic can easily defeat Dr. Eggman."

"But he risked his neck trying to... uh... free you," I spoke, trying not to spook her with yesterday's memory. "Can he really destroy a giant killer robot."

I immediately regretted what I had just said. I was doubting Sonic again.

" _Can_ he?" Tails laughed. "You bet! It's actually child's play for him."

I was about to respond that this would bring even worse consequences, but I heard Grandpa's voice from yesterday telling me to have the kind of faith he had. After all, I didn't know if Sonic would be our last hope.

"You know what, Chris?" Tails began, as if he was reading my thoughts. "Maybe you could come with me in the Tornado and look for Sonic. If we don't find him before long, then we'll take on Eggman's robot. Besides, you'll be able to see what Sonic can really do."

I started to become excited. "You mean-"

"I don't think so, Tails," Grandpa cut me off. "For one, Chris has never been in a plane that small before, and two, I don't want him getting hurt should you engage this robot."

"I understand, Chuck," responded Tails. "I promise I'll take good care of Chris while we're away."

"I hope you do. I don't want to lose my son's only child."

Tails solemnly nodded. He's like, _eight_ , and he's responsible for the protection of someone four years older than him. I guess age on Mobius isn't everything.

Finally Grandpa nodded. "All right, Chris, you may go. As well you should; you've always been saying you don't want to grow up to be a bore in the office like your dad, haven't you?"

I blushed. Please, not in front of my friends... "Please don't tell him I said that," I pleaded, blushing. Tails giggled.

"You guys... Okay, Chris, follow me," he instructed as he opened the hatch and began descending the stairs.

"Goodbye!" Cream called after us.

"Bye!" I waved back.

"Remember, Chris, listen to Tails if he needs you for anything, stay safe, and above all, have a good time."

"I will," I replied. _I hope..._

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

To say East 82nd Avenue was totaled was something of an understatement.

Cars were crushed. There were gaping holes in buildings. The streets of uptown Station Square were becoming void of people. Dr. Eggman followed Missile Wrist in the Eggmobile.

Just then several police cars pulled up, followed by a few police vans. Officer spilled out of the vehicles and prepared their riot gear and guns, hoping it would be of some effect.

Police Captain Evan Albright stepped out of his car with a megaphone. He addressed Eggman: "In the name of the Station Square Police Department, I order you to stand down and surrender your robot!" No way did he imagine he would say those words in his wildest dreams.

Eggman dropped his altitude to Albright's level. "The police..." he sneered. "Why do _you_ think you can stop me?"

"Don't try anything, whoever you are," Albright retorted. To the other police, he said, "Ready your weapons! Find any weak spots on that robot. A well-placed bullet might be able to disable it. Fire!"

The officers fired at several potential weak points, the neck pivot and knee joints being two of them. The bullets were reflexted off the armor, and empty bullet shells began littering the street.

"Cease fire!" Albright ordered. "This isn't working."

"Of _course_ it isn't working!" crowed Eggman. "This is superior technology! Nothing the Overlanders can create will best, or even rival my tech. You may as well go home and cry to your mommy."

Albright was unfazed. "...Who do you think you are?" he demanded.

"Ah-ah-ah!" the rotund man waved a finger. "Don't rush my schedule. All will be revealed in due time."

"You do realize who's in charge here."

"Of course!" beamed Eggman.

"You have already infringed countless laws. In fact, the giant robot act alone is enough to incriminate you."

"Oh, so you think you can arrest me, eh?" Eggman leaned forward. "Try me. I dare you."

Without a word of retort, Albright drew his Glock and fired a few rounds at the Eggmobile. Not only did it do nothing, but an round energy canopy surrounded Eggman, effectively protecting him. The mad scientist laughed heartily. Albright would have to call in the military.

"You may command this band of wimps, Officer, but who is next on the chain of command? I want to speak with him."

"Uh..." Albright was taken aback at this sudden request. "The Chief of Police. If you won't answer to me for your crimes, you'll certainly answer to him."

"Not good enough!" Eggman interrupted with a dismissive wave of his hand. "If the police have proven unworthy to take on E-23 Missile Wrist, what can their chief do? Get me the mayor pronto if you value your badges!"

He pointed forward, and Missile Wrist began to stomp forward. There was no time for the officers to scramble to their cars; they were forced to leave on foot as Missile Wrist destroyed the officers' cars.

All twelve of them.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Knuckles and Amy were taking a well-need rest in the sewer. They couldn't really sit down, as they had been trudging through water most of the time. As Mobians are more hardy and durable than Overlanders, they were not as starving as an Overlander would be on thirty-six hours without food.

"How much longer will we be down here, Knuckles?" asked a slightly impatient Amy, who was sitting on one of the ladder rungs nearby so she wouldn't tread water.

"Ten minutes. Can you wait ten minutes? Then it's time to finally see daylight." Then he returned to his thoughtful silence. Needless to say, he was thinking about the Master Emerald.

However, Amy broke into his thoughts. "Do you think we'll be able to get back home. Like, ever?"

Knuckles opened his eyes. "I don't _think_ , I _know_." Amy turned to him. "Exile from our home world is _not_ how the story ends. I _will_ gather all seven Chaos Emeralds, I _will_ have Sonic invoke Chaos Control, I _will_ get everyone back home, and I _will_ get back to the Master Emerald. Count on it."

Knuckles was so determined, and Amy knew it. "I love your enthusiasm, Knuckles," replied Amy, "but you're going to need help. You know you can't talk me out of it."

The echidna sighed. "...You're right. I usually don't need help gathering treasure. But dire situations call for dire measures. I will need all the help I can get. The sooner we gather the Chaos Emeralds, the sooner we can get off this-"

"Uh, Knuckles?"

"Yeah?"

"That sound... Do you think that's..."

Her voice trailed off as they paid attention to the noise that reverberated through the tunnel they were in. It sounded like a deep, steady thumping noise. The way it echoed through the dark sewer tunnel was almost as if it were out of a horror movie. Amy moved closer to Knuckles for support. She was glad Cream was not here; she would think this would be too scary.

"Eggman!" Knuckles leaped up, almost slipping on the wet tunnel floor. "About _time_ he showed his ugly mug around here."

"Wait, Knuckles!" Amy stood up as well. "We're low on energy. That could critically impair our fighting skills."

"That doesn't matter now," Knuckles started walking again as the thumping got louder. "Safety first. Them's the rules of the Resistance."

Amy couldn't deny that. The safety of civilians always came first, no matter whatever personal ailments the Resistance had. Unless they were injured, which they weren't in this case.

"But how are we going to go about this mission, Knuckles? This world's Overlanders are going to see us!"

"Yeah, I know. We just have to bite the bullet. There's no other way."

"I guess so..."

Just then Knuckles bolted forward, and stopped in front of a nearby ladder, looking back to see Amy catching up. "Our way out," he mused.

He placed one foot on the first rung before turning to Amy. "I'll go first to check the gravity of the situation. It may be too dangerous to go up there right now."

"Okay," the pink hedgehog nodded as Knuckles mounted the ladder. He carefully lifted the manhole cover and surveyed his surroundings.

The carnage told the whole story. Cars were destroyed. There was a fire or two coming from the buildings. Glass was everywhere. The sounds of people screaming could be heard in the distance. Police were everywhere, trying to control the crowd. There were a few indents of the robot's steps in the road. Turning the other way, the echidna could see the robot walking away. He knew for sure Eggman was behind this.

Knuckles quickly replaced the manhole cover and looked down. "Well?" Amy wondered.

"It's bad," Knuckles said. "But it's exactly what I expected. Apparently Eggman only had enough resources to send out _one_ robot? I kinda expected more from him."

"Yeah, that _does_ sound strange..." Amy mused. "But I believe he still has all the resources he had in his fortress, assuming the whole building was sent here as well."

"That's still unconfirmed as of now, but I'll look into it. Right now, it's time to take down Eggman!"

"Were you able to identify it?" Amy asked as she started to climb the ladder.

"It's hard to tell given the distance, but I'd say it's an E-31 Missile Wrist." As an afterthought, he said, "That research mission really paid off." Amy nodded.

"Ready for this?" Knuckles asked.

"You bet!" answered Amy.

"Then as Sonic would say, 'Let's do it to it!'" He immediately vaulted the manhole cover into the air and climbed out of the sewer. He squinted at the sudden bright sunlight. After helping Amy up to the street as well, they ran in the direction Knuckles last saw the robot go in.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Today was not a particularly busy day in the Eckstein Center.

There were only a few dozen people here and there inside the eighty-story tall skyscraper. One of the tallest buildings in Station Square, it consisted of mostly offices pertaining to the technology industry, as well as a Starbucks on the first floor. However, it was best known for being the Station Square branch of Starship Soft.

Sundays were off-days for most people at the Eckstein Center, but there were still some workers here. Today they were doing the final touches on a new computer program that would greatly benefit the WM garbage company.

They were completely oblivious to the giant robot outside... until now.

A security guard ran into the main lobby from one of the side doors. "Everyone evacuate the building! Giant war machine outside! Everyone out!"

Everyone on the ground level heeded the warning and ran out the fire exits just as the giant robot crashed through the front door, giving way to screams and dropped possessions. The robot meandered further into the building. A few people were injured in the resulting stampede.

The robot stopped moving once it reached the center of the lobby. Several other security officer ran into the room and fired their pistols at the robot. No damage was done.

Just then a man in an egg-shaped hovercraft flew in through the whole created by the robot. The officers trained their weapons on him, but the man seemed not to notice. "Missile Wrist, meet me at the top of this building. It's time for me to prepare for my introductory speech." With that, he flew back outside, but not before the guards heard him say "Decoe, am I set for my big debut?"

One of the guards turned to another. "Whoever that guy is, he's behind this."

"I know. It's scary knowing even we can't do anything about this."

"Just called the military. GUN's on their way," a third reported.

"Let's hope they get here in time. Assuming there _is_ a city left."

Suddenly the robot pointed its right arm upward, and converted its conical hand into what appeared to be a grappling hook.

"Look out! He's headed for the roof!"

"Clear!"

The robot fired the grappling hook through the ceiling, resulting in numerous crashing sounds and screaming. After fifteen seconds, it slowly began to rise into the air, gradually picking up momentum. The robot crashed through floor after floor until the sound died down, raining bits of ceiling and dust down. The guards were speechless for a while. Finally, one picked up his radio.

"Get some paramedics to the upper levels and ensure that everyone is out of the Eckstein Building."

 _"Copy that."_

The officer put away his radio. It was going to be a loooong couple of weeks...

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

A frantic advisor rushed into Mayor Aaron Pinsky's office.

"Sir, are you aware of the giant robot attack going on?"

"Yes. I just got off the phone with the military. They're sending GUN soldiers over," the mayor replied.

"We just got word from the police that the man behind all this wants to see you immediately," the advisor reported.

"The man's a terrorist. He has no right to demand anything of me." Mayor Pinsky stood up. "Nevertheless, I need to see what he wants. Perhaps negotiation is possible."

"The way he's destroying this city, I doubt he'd listen."

The mayor walked toward the door. "If I negotiate with this man, perhaps he will listen and cease his rampage. Prepare my limo. I'm heading out there."

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

This is by far the most exciting experience I have ever had in my twelve years on Earth.

I never thought I would get to fly in an open bi-plane, especially not at my age. And there I was, flying in the Tornado over Harris Bingham Memorial Park, the largest park in Station Square, in search of Sonic. Good thing I brought my football helmet; Tails said I would need it in case of an accident. And I must say, Tails is an _amazing_ pilot.

"So Chuck tells me you've never been in a plane like this before?" he inquired.

"No, never," I shouted, since the engine was a bit on the loud side.

"There's a first time for everything, right?" he replied back. "How are you enjoying it so far?"

"It's awesome!" I shouted with joy. Tails smiled. "I thought so."

I held onto the side of the plane as it banked left. Good thing that even on Mobius, they have seat belts.

"Still don't see him!" I reported once I scanned the ground. I knew everyone below could see us, but if our city was in danger, did all of that really matter?

"Don't worry about him for now," Tails told me. "Sonic's got some kind of sixth sense for danger. He'll know what's happening and come to the rescue right away."

"Really?"

"Trust me; I've been on the receiving end of some of those rescues myself." I had hoped to myself that I would not be in enough danger to need rescuing myself. Then again, the Mobians only just got here. It was way too early to count my chickens.

So Sonic could sense that his friends were in danger? That was something. I began wondering how that worked. Was telepathy at play here? I ruled that out. No way did Sonic look like he could be capable of that.

Just then I noticed what looked like a yellow tablet in a compartment next to Tails' seat.

"Is that a tablet next to you, Tails?" I asked.

"Yeah," he shouted back. "That's the Miles Electric. I built it myself, I might add. Sorry we can't look at it now, but I can show it to you later if you'd like."

"Okay," I answered.

To think that an eight-year-old from another planet built a tablet himself... That takes a special kind of genius. How many others are like him on his world? If this Dr. Eggman has an IQ of 300, does that mean Tails is just as smart as he is, if not smarter? No wonder Grandpa immediately liked him. And since I'm kinda into tech myself, I could envision fun times all around with me and Tails.

Also, I still couldn't get over the fact that he actually _built_ this plane from scratch. I mean, no one on this world has that kind of capability. He could very easily give Professor Einstein a run for his money!

As I continued daydreaming about the fun times we'd have together, I heard Tails break into my thoughts. "Are you seeing this?" he asked.

"Huh?" I looked up to see nothing but a giant holo-screen being projected into the air. On the screen was a man with pince-nez glasses, a pair of goggles up on his bald head, and a giant brown mustache. He was grinning evilly.

"Is that Dr. Eggman?" I asked.

"Yup. That's him," confirmed Tails. "I wonder what he wants this time?"

Dr. Eggman cleared his throat. "Greetings, citizens of Station Square!" he spoke in a gravelly voice. "In case you haven't noticed, I have hacked every device in this city to bring you an important message you dare not miss. Anyway, my name is Dr. Ivo Robotnik, or Dr. Eggman, as my nemesis calls me. I am a genius scientist with one goal in life: to create the Eggman Empire. That's why I am here. The Eggman Empire's foundation will be laid upon the ruins of this city!"

I almost choked. As cartoonish as he seemed, he was dead serious about his threat. My earlier excitement changed to dread as Eggman continued.

"Resistance is futile, in case you haven't already guessed. If any of you dare raise a fist against me - and this goes especially to you, military - you can be sure I will deal with you swiftly. Now, there will be some of you who don't really take me seriously. You might be asking what planet I come from. Well, I can tell you that planet is _infested_ with evil rodents who want to stop me from creating the Eggman Empire. They're even highly opposed to me building a theme park for the kiddies! Such nerve! So if you see anyone named Sonic the Hedgehog, or anyone affiliated with him, you must report him to me immediately!"

Eggman went on further, but I stopped listening about that point. I could tell Tails was still listening to Eggman's terms and boasts, but what got me was the fact that he went from demanding the surrender of the city to guilting its citizens into reporting Sonic as a villain. I mean, it seemed weird that he would straddle both sides of the fence. Was he going to play the good guy or the bad guy? That was immediately made clear with the giant robot. He was a bad guy for sure.

"Submit, or be the first to be decimated by the great Dr. Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik!" he finished, followed by a sinister, yet cartoonish laugh.

"Did you hear what he said, Chris?" Tails asked.

"I zoned out just before he finished. One of the reasons I hate fine print." Tails chuckled.

"See Eggman's robot anywhere?" the fox inquired.

I scanned the streets of the city below. "No," I reported. "It's a giant robot; it really shouldn't be hard to- Wait, there it is!"

The robot was just emerging atop the Eckstein Center, one of the tallest buildings in Station Square. I knew the damage inside would be catastrophic, and maybe take years to fix. I hated to think about it.

"Okay then!" Tails braced himself for action. "Time to beat Eggman!" He glanced back at me, looking concerned. "Are you okay with me going into open combat, Chris?"

"Uh, yeah," I responded. "Anything to save our city."

"That's the spirit!" He flew us toward the Eckstein Center, the robot... _and hopefully not our impending doom_ , I silently hoped.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Eggman pressed the button that deactivated the giant holo-screen. Now that his message had been broadcast, it was up to this world's Overlanders to do what they wished. Not that it mattered, of course. He know he overpowered them a hundredfold.

A quick glance at the street below revealed that people everywhere were holding up their cell phones to record him. Good... He definitely had the city's attention. Now all he needed was the presence of the mayor.

He looked down again to see a back limousine pull up, along with a police escort. "Finally," muttered Eggman under his breath.

Mayor Pinsky stepped out of his car with a megaphone. Surely he would need it to address a madman hovering hundreds of feet above him.

He took a deep breath. "Dr. Robotnik, in the name of the Station Square Police Department, I order your immediate and unconditional surrender!"

Eggman reactivated his microphone and chuckled, amused by the Overlander's authoritative, yet pitiful, attempt to get him to surrender.

"Who do you think I am?" Eggman retorted.

The mayor was silent for a moment. "...If you come down here unarmed, we will negotiate the terms of your-"

"No!" interrupted Eggman. "There will be no negotiation. And _you_ are the ones who are going to surrender. Remember who's wearing the pants here." There was another moment of silence. "No surrender, no city. Missile Wrist will see to that. Does that motivate you?"

The mayor took another moment before responding. "In that case, I refuse to negotiate with a blackmailing terrorist like you, Robotnik!"

Eggman wagged his finger in chastisement. "Tut tut! There may be children watching. Dare I say it, 'terrorist' is such a strong, violent word. All I desire is the surrender of your city to me so I can build the Eggman Empire. Really, that's all I ask!"

"I'm sorry, Dr. Robotnik. I have no right to yield the city to you, and even if I did, the act of yielding to the demands of a terrorist would leave a black mark on the nation, the city, and my own record."

Eggman frowned. "Please. It's got a theme park for the kids!"

"Are you sure you want to add bribery to your list of crimes?"

Eggman crossed his arms. "Hmph. Then in that case, I'm sure your city won't mind your momentary departure!"

He reached for a button.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

The last words of Eggman's message rang in Knuckles' and Amy's ears. He really meant it this time, there was no doubt about it.

"Huh. Didn't know Eggman actually had enough resources to carry out an invasion," Knuckles mused.

"It's too early to tell," replied Amy. "But you do have a point. If Eggman was Chaos Controlled here, how could he have built a robot so fast?"

"Maybe he didn't," Knuckles speculated. "Wasn't E-23 one of the robots we found during our base run?"

"Yes..." Amy slowly realized. "Yes, it was... Wait, are you thinking that-"

"Yeah," Knuckles nodded as they continued running through the streets. "Call me crazy, but I've got this theory that Eggman's whole base was sent here as well."

Amy was intrigued. "Really?"

"Yeah. How else can you explain E-23 being here?"

Amy's eyes widened. "Wait, if Eggman's whole base is here... than this means there's nothing to stop him from unleashing wave after wave of Badniks into this city!"

"I know. But it's still unconfirmed at the moment. We'll have to look into it."

Just then they heard a sound that immediately brought relief to them - the sound of a plane.

"Is that the Tornado?" wondered Knuckles.

Just then the iconic biplane flew into view. It was very high up, near the top of a nearby building, and appeared to be firing at an object atop the building.

"It is!" squealed Amy, bouncing up and down a little bit. "Tails made it! This can only mean Sonic's here too!"

Knuckles shook his head. Amy still had eyes only for Sonic. Some things never change after all these years...

Turning back to the building, the echidna figured the robot somehow made its way to the top of the building. He didn't even want to _think_ about all the damage that was done inside. But he couldn't think about it. There wasn't time to.

"Follow me," he curtly ordered as he broke into a run toward the skyscraper. Amy ran after him, and they reached the front doors of the building. As they thought, there were police officers and security guards everywhere. Knuckles and Amy were able to run past the surprised personnel and enter the building. However, it didn't take long for the authorities to regain their composure.

"Hey! Stop them!" one of the guards shouted.

Once inside, one of the first things that saw was a gaping hole - make that _several_ gaping holes. They could eventually see sky through them.

"Oh no..." Amy whispered.

"See any stairs anywhere? Or an elevator?" Knuckles frantically asked, looking around.

"There!" Amy pointed to a nearby pair of elevators. There was a staircase there as well.

"Take the elevator! I'll cover you!" ordered Knuckles as he stood in front of Amy, ready to protect her from the officers.

"Right!"

Amy rushed over to the elevators. She had to reach up to press the button, since these elevators were made for Overlanders, not Mobians. Fortunately, the elevator was already on the first floor, and she darted in. Looking out, she saw Knuckles fighting off the guards.

"Close the doors! I'll meet you up top!" he shouted.

Oh no. Overlander elevators are not made the same way as Mobian elevators. "Come on, come on, come on," she said to herself as she tried to locate the correct button. At last she pressed it, and the doors closed. Just in time, as some of the guards were getting too close for comfort.

Amy knew she couldn't stay inside the elevator forever. The structural integrity of this skyscraper could be at risk, especially since the robot presumably crashed through every floor to get to the roof. Besides, the guards could try to gain control of the elevator.

She located the button for the roof and pressed it. Again, she had to really reach to get to it. She hoped she would be able to get home to Mobius soon, where there were normal-sized elevators for once.

As the elevator rose, Amy pulled her trusty Piko-Piko Hammer from out of Hammerspace and braced herself for the coming fight. She knew she would have help - Knuckles, Tails, and hopefully Sonic would be there to take on Eggman and his robot.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

You should have seen the look on Dr. Eggman's face as we buzzed right past him. That absolute look of shock, as well as his cowering back in the round hovercraft he was piloting - it was absolutely priceless.

"You? Here?!" I had to strain to hear the doctor's angry voice speak over the roar of the Tornado's engines. "I should have known you and your pathetic friends would..."

His last words were inaudible, but as I continued to watch him, he turned to the robot and shouted something. I figured it was an order to shoot us down. And I was right. Suddenly the robot's rounded hands launched themselves off the arms, and I cringed as I saw them speed right toward us. Fortunately they missed, and I saw that the missile-shaped hands were tethered to the arms. Chancing a look up, I was surprised that the robot had nearly lost its balance on the roof from launching its hands.

"You okay back there, Chris?" Tails asked.

"Yeah," I breathed, waiting for my heart rate to slow down, "but those came too close."

"I know," replied Tails as he banked left. "Hopefully it should take a little time for it to reset its attack. Might as well use this opportunity to do a little damage of our own."

The fox promptly turned the plane around to face the robot. Pressing a button, he fired a steady stream of lasers at its head, neck, and chest. I had to know how laser blasters work. Even more than that, I knew Chuck would be all over this new tech. It could very well be revolutionary. Then we could actually have Star Wars in real life! ...or maybe not. I don't want a Death Star knockoff orbiting my planet.

Anyway, I watched the lasers impacting the robot, and doing absolutely no damage. Tails groaned in annoyance. "I forgot Missile Wrist had Egg Fleet-grade armor!"

"Missile Wrist? That's its name?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm gonna need some concentration for this fight, okay?"

"Okay."

Missile Wrist? I gotta say, that's not the most creative name out there. I was hoping for something more along the lines of Titan or Marauder. But I know not to judge a book - or a bot, in this case - by its cover. Already it's proven to be very dangerous, as we were nearly punched out of the sky by its tethered hands. I hoped it didn't have any other moves.

Just then we heard Eggman's voice over the engine, and I assumed he was speaking into a voice amplifier of some sort.

"I'm sorry you thought E-23 was too easy for you," he said in a fake apologetic tone. "So I brought some friends to keep you both company. Buzz Bombers! Destroy that plane!"

Throwing a quick glance back, I saw the fat man in the hovercraft press a button on his wrist. It was evident he was summoning whatever these "Buzz Bombers" were. Momentarily, the sound of about a hundred tiny engines could be heard, and I saw many, _many_ purple bee-like robots fly out from behind a building. While they had small engines, they also had wings which added their voice to the chorus of noise around us. They also had what looked like laser blasters in their stingers - laser blaster which were pointed directly at us.

"Not these again!" exclaimed Tails as he gripped the controls harder and prepared to take evasive action.

"Wait, _again_?" I was confused.

"Yeah. They're the one reason I had to repair the Tornado yesterday!" I recalled Tails saying something about the Tornado being damaged yesterday. Now he was dealing with the exact same threat - and this time, I was along for the ride. I could only hope they didn't cause us to crash.

Before I knew it, the sound of their wings and engines became louder, and soon they weren't just behind us. They were above and below us, to our sides, even in front of us! Assuming those were laser blasters they had, I was surprised they hadn't used them by now.

"They're not shooting at us..." I pointed out.

"I noticed that just now," Tails responded. "I can't shake the feeling they're luring us into a-"

...trap. Yep, this was exactly what it was. The Buzz Bombers forced us to bank right and head back toward Missile Wrist. The giant robot immediately shot one of its forward again. A snapping sound told me its hand had found its mark.

"Did it get us?" I asked, not seeing where Missile Wrist hit us.

"Yeah; we just lost the propeller!" Tails answered. Oh no. Last I checked, propellers are pretty vital to planes of this type. Without them... well, let's just say we wouldn't be in the air for long.

Already the plane started to plummet. I let out a cry as we began to drop.

"I can fix it! Just hang in there!" reassured Tails as he pressed a few buttons.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

After Amy was safe in the elevator, Knuckles figured this was the time to make his exit. He saw a few guards rush for the stairs.

"Let her go," ordered another. "GUN'll be here in two minutes."

Knuckles almost froze. _GUN_? Here?! This was impossible. How could GUN exist in two separate worlds, _universes_ even? Or was he just hearing things? Either way, he knew he couldn't stick around to find out.

"Freeze!" one of the officers commanded Knuckles.

Knuckles wanted to retort, but there wasn't time to. He looked up through the holes that led to the roof - and the robot. Taking a deep breath, he made his first leap through the hole and landed on the second floor. Fortunately there were no people to be seen.

As he leaped from floor to floor in is ascent to the roof, he only saw a few people here and there. They were either staring in disbelief, or helping some of the wounded. There was destruction everywhere - broken-up pieces of floor and ceiling lay on what was left of the floor. He only hoped there wasn't asbestos in the walls; it could be deadly given decades.

But he wasn't thinking about asbestos right now. He was thinking about GUN, and why they were here in addition to Mobius. Knuckles new this was not Mobius, and Amy had confirmed it earlier. Besides, the city's layout was different, and the overall climate was warmer. But there was one thing that remained the same - the city was situated next to the ocean. And yet Knuckles knew this was not his Station Square. There was no evidence that Chaos was ever there.

There were too many mysteries here, and no time to think about them. Right now, his sole goal was to destroy this robot and save the city.

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

I gotta say, I kinda like this new planet I've been sent to.

So far, I've been to places like San Francisco, Seattle, Boise, Salt Lake City, Denver, and made that left turn at Albuquerque to head through Las Vegas. This country really reminds me of the United Federation back home. Apparently this country is called the United States. Similar, yet different...

I must say, San Francisco looked the most like the old Station Square back home. It even had a giant bridge like the once-prosperous city back in the United Federation. They never did recover after Perfect Chaos, sadly. Once the world got used to me, I would have to return there and check it out in greater detail.

So yeah, I was just spending the day getting a feel for this new planet, exploring the west coast of the United States. Tomorrow I planned to check out the central states, and later on the east coast.

I spent about thirty seconds in Las Vegas. It actually reminded me of Eggmanland for the little time I spent there. Not my cup of tea, I might add. Actually, another part of it reminded me of Casino Night Zone. Maybe I should return here for another visit.

About now I figured it was time to return to Station Square. Darting through Arizona and the desert of southern California, I decided to bypass Area 99. That was hard to maneuver. Not only were there cameras covering every square inch of the place, but most likely the guys over there were going to take me down the next time they see me. So... yeah.

I cut through San Diego and Los Angeles en route to Station Square. Hopefully Chris didn't miss me while I was gone.

From the very beginning, Chris had taken a special liking to me. It was almost as if he never had a friend before. I somehow knew he was a lonely kid, so I knew that was the place to stay. Not only was the house awesome, but Chris is an awesome guy as well. He was lonely now, but I would make sure he would never be friendless again.

I wasn't the only friend he had. He's got Tails, Cream, and Cheese. And since his grandpa's an engineer and inventor, I knew he and Tails would become instant friends. Since Chris struck me as a gentle kind of kid, he and Cream would get along great. And his friends list wouldn't stop there. He would soon make friends with Knuckles and Amy too. While I knew Amy would stay at the house, I wasn't so sure about Knuckles. He's always been a loner.

As I entered Talbot, which is in the Station Square metro, I noticed a large crowd gathering outside a Best Buy store. There weren't too many cars in the parking lot, so why the giant crowd. Judging by its size, I knew it wasn't for a new TV. I decided to stop by and see what was going on.

Jumping up into a nearby tree, I hid behind the branches so that no one would see me, and listened to the crowd. There were too many people to get close to the TVs they were watching, so I had to settle for eavesdropping. There were lots of people talking over each other, but I managed to catch some loose words such as "plane", "robot", "building", and "hovercraft".

I pieced together the situation. Tails was in the Tornado, fighting one of Eggman's robots near a certain building. I knew it. Eggman _was_ here...

Even though I knew Tails was an independent fighter, I figured I should head over there and give my high-flying best buddy some well-needed aid.

I jumped down from the tree and ran toward the heart of the city. Whatever Eggman had in mind, it couldn't be good...

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

"Aaahhh!"

The Tornado was continuing to plummet. As the ground drew nearer, I closed my eyes, expecting a fiery crash. I was too young to die. But I knew I couldn't just doubt Tails. He did, after all, vow to take care of me during this flight. And if he said he could fix the plane, I knew I needed to trust him.

But there was no crash. In fact, the sensation changed. I heard the sound of a rocket engine, then we stopped falling. In fact, we were rising again. I sommoned the courage to open my eyes again and see why we weren't crashing.

I immediately saw that the plane looked different. Instead of two wings, there were four, folded out in an X-shape. A pair of jet engines were propelling the Tornado to a safe altitude. Now there was no need for a propeller.

"Are you okay, Chris?" Tails asked in concern.

After I worked on keeping my lunch down, I responded. "Yeah, I'm fine. How did you transform this plane?"

"It's just a transformation I built into it in case of emergencies. This is one of my older planes, but it's a newer modification."

"Wait, you've got more _planes_?" I was intrigued.

"Yeah. Whoa!" He suddenly sent us into a dip to the right to avoid the Buzz Bombers that nearly got us again. "Can't talk now." He pressed a button that caused a yellowish-green gas to be emitted from a canister in the back of the plane. I watched in awe as it shorted out most of the Buzz Bomber, causing them to drop like flies from the sky. Those that survived began to fire lasers at us. One of them came within inches of my shoulder.

As we dipped again in an attempt to dodge the laser, I saw three large black vehicles pull up outside the Eckstein center. Now I've never seen a GUN vehicle in person before, but now I was watching three GUN mobile headquarters right now.

"I see some GUN vehicles down there," I pointed.

Tails turned to look at me, a mixture of seriousness and shock on his features. "Did you say GUN?!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah. Do you know about them?" I asked.

"I'll explain later," Tails said as he dodged more lasers, followed by another punch from Missile Wrist. "What is GUN doing now?"

"Uh..." I strained to see what the GUN soldiers were doing. "They're getting out of their vehicles. Looks like they're about to head inside the building."

"Well then," Tails thought aloud as he turned the plane back around. "This could get interesting fast."

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

At last, Knuckles finally reached the roof. He panted from the exertion of leaping through the holes, having counted at least eighty stories in this building. He hoped the structural integrity would last, at least until E-23 was destroyed.

Speaking of E-23, there it was, all three tons of it. Knuckles didn't care how much it weighed. All that mattered was that it was upon his shoulders to destroy it before it destroyed any more of the city. Station Square was damaged enough as is.

The Tornado was out there, distracting Missile Wrist, who was vainly trying to punch it out of the sky. Knuckles began to consider his options. He could easily tackle the legs of the robot and send it toppling to the streets below. But there were innocents down there, as well as authorities, not to mention the added fiery explosion would make a bad first impression on this world. There had to be another way. Perhaps he could discuss a strategy with Amy once she arrived.

Just then a chime announced that the elevator had arrived. Knuckles turned to see Amy emerge from the elevator. She was holding her hammer in a battle-ready position.

"Just in time," Knuckles stated. "We need a strategy."

"So far it hasn't noticed us," Amy said, "so we should easily be able to attack it from behind."

"That's where I was going. But we can't risk knocking it into the street. There are innocent people down there, not to mention GUN.

Amy frowned. This _was_ a difficult situation. Then she looked up, having a belated double take.

"GUN? Here?"

Knuckles nodded slightly. "Crazy, but true."

It took another moment of thinking before Knuckles made his decision. "Okay. You distract it, and while it's focused on you, I'll deliver the finishing blow."

"Okay," Amy replied. Preparing her hammer, she ran toward Missile Wrist. She hoisted her hammer over her head and slammed it down with punishing force on the left leg of the robot. The vibration traveled through the hammer and into Amy's hands. She dropped her hammer and held her sore hands. The robot was unfazed.

"I'm coming!" Knuckles shouted as he ran toward Amy and Missile Wrist. Suddenly Missile Wrist turned around and fired its left hand at Knuckles, sending him sprawling into the wall next to the elevator. He could only look on in worry as it picked up Amy with its right hand, hoisting her into the air.

"Help me!" she cried.

Immediately Knuckles got up and ran back toward Missile Wrist, but Dr. Eggman swooped down in his Eggmobile, cutting him off.

"Outta my way," growled the echidna.

"I don't think so," the doctor grinned. "Your heart's bigger than your brain, Knuckles. May I commend you for giving me a hostage."

Knuckles gritted his teeth. "Don't you dare," he snarled, pushing past the Eggmobile to get to Missile Wrist. Eggman snapped his fingers, and Missile Wrist began to squeeze Amy.

"Aaaaahhhh!"

Knuckles stood down, now completely out of options.

"You see?" Eggman said, arms folded smugly across his chest. "Interfere with my plan and Amy Rose will pay very dearly for it!"

Knuckles was breathing heavily. He couldn't stand there and do nothing, because if he did, Eggman would succeed in his plan, who knew what would become of Amy, and besides, GUN was probably running up the stairs right now. If he attempted to rescue Amy and destroy Missile Wrist, Amy could be killed.

"Let her go," he demanded.

"Why should I?" mocked Eggman. "Amy is clearly the instigator here. All Missile Wrist did was protect itself."

"Yeah? Well, who's the bad guy here? Not me!" retorted Knuckles.

"That's right!" Amy chimed in. "You may as well give up now, because I know Sonic is coming for you!"

Eggman gave an amused grin. "I'm sorry?"

"We've deducted that if the three of us are here, then Sonic has to be here too!"

With its free hand, Missile Wrist threw another punch at the Tornado.

"So you say," Eggman said after a moment's silence. "But I'm afraid he didn't make it. After a study of his Power Rings, I found out that they negate the effect of Chaos Control on him. This means he never came!"

Knuckles knew Eggman was trying to trick him. Since his time as Resistance leader, he had learned how to properly deal with trickery. Even though Eggman had succeeded in tricking him a few times, Knuckles was able to tell when Eggman was not sincere.

"That's a lie!" he shouted. "The Power Ring's effect wore off long before Chaos Control was initiated. Besides, Power Rings have no effect on Chaos Control and you know it!"

"Fine, you got me," Eggman said. As an afterthought, he added, "Eventually I _will_ find where you get these Power Rings."

"I doubt it," Amy replied.

Eggman shook his head. "Never mind the Power Rings! The point is, even if Sonic _was_ here, I can still get away with establishing the Eggman Empire!"

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

We were getting further away from Missile Wrist in our fight to destroy the Buzz Bombers that were still chasing us. Even though Tails destroyed most of them with a gas that was emitted from the back of the plane, there were still about eight left - and they were not happy. The proof was in the lasers that whizzed around us.

"Sorry about this, Chris!" shouted Tails from in front of me. "If I knew we were going into combat immediately, I wouldn't have brought you along!"

"That's okay!" I replied, even though I knew it really wasn't. I watched as more gas spewed from the Tornado and shut down all remaining Buzz Bombers.

"What is that gas?" I asked.

"EMP gas," answered Tails. I understood the rest of what it did. "See any more Badniks?" he asked.

"Those are those robots we destroyed?" I questioned. I thought they were called Buzz Bombers.

"Yeah."

I took a careful look around. "No, I don't see any- Wait, here come more of them!"

Sure enough, about twenty more robots appeared from behind the Eckstein Building where Missile Wrist was. Only these didn't look like Buzz Bombers.

"They look different..." I pointed out.

"Those are Hoverbys!" Tails clarified. "And by the looks of it, they've been modified!"

These Hoverbys certainly looked different than the Buzz Bombers we had just destroyed. Not only did they have more prominent engines, but they also sported small buzzsaws. If I weren't scared by our situation, I'd say they reminded me of Star Wars' buzz droids.

Once they got close enough, the Hoverbys activated their saw blades. Their whirring sound could be heard even over the Tornado's twin engines. About three or four of them approached each wing of the plane.

"You got any more EMP gas?" I worriedly asked as the Hoverbys neared the wings. Tails checked one of the gauges. "We're out!" he reported.

The Hoverbys' buzzsaws were getting louder, and a few of them even landed on the wings. I cringed as the saws made contact with the wings, sparks flying everywhere. Looks like this could be the end if Sonic doesn't show up...

"We're not gonna last long here!" I shouted.

"I hate to admit it, but you might be right unless we get supersonic help soon."

If Sonic had this sixth sense as Tails had said, surely he would be here by now. Where could Sonic be? Would he make it before the Hoverbys saw the wings off and send us plunging to our doom?

But wait. I just saw a flash of blue below, comparable to the trail The Flash makes. Could it be...?

"There he is!" I shouted, awed that Sonic had finally returned. Which made me wonder, where was he this whole time? He did mention getting a feel of the planet, but surely people would see him. I would have to have a talk with him later, but for now, he's here to save us!

Sonic must have spotted us first thing, for I saw him leap high into the air toward us. He launched into a spin, taking out robot after robot. I watched as they began to plunge toward the ground. The city's cleanup service would be busy, I supposed. Sonic drew nearer, destroying some of the more immediately dangerous Hoverbys.

"Chris?" Tails spoke.

"Yeah?"

"See that bag next to you?"

I looked down to see a large tan satchel next to my seat. "Yeah, I have it."

"I need you to reach in there, take out a Power Ring, and hold it out to Sonic," instructed Tails.

Looking inside the bag, I saw dozens of large glowing rings. I took one out and saw how it shone in the sunlight.

"What do these do?" I asked.

"Just lean over and hold it out to him; Sonic will know what to do."

I nodded and looked over to Sonic. He landed on the wing of the Tornado, kicking away the last of the Hoverbys. I held out the ring. While he was a little surprised to see me in the Tornado, he saw the ring and took hold of it. It was amazing how he started to glow as the ring dissolved into him. By the looks of things, his power was increased, and he was ready for a fight.

I'm lucky to have someone like him living with me.

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

Consuming the Power Ring's essence, I felt its power course through my veins, strengthening me. Good thing Tails had plans to start duplicating the rings. This way, I would never have to worry about running out. We may not have the Great Forest here, but even being sent to another world doesn't mean we have to worry about running out.

I home-attacked the rest of the Hoverbys surrounding the Tornado, and couldn't help but notice they had been upgraded. Also... that was Chris in the back seat of the Tornado, wasn't it? Why is _he_ here? Isn't it dangerous for him to be out in combat like this? This would be the first time Tails had an Overlander as a passenger in any of his craft. I'd have to talk to Chris about it later. Maybe Tails approved? Anyway, now that all the Hoverbys are gone, Tails and Chris are safe, and now I could focus my power on Eggman's new toy.

"So you made it, pincushion," muttered Eggman through his voice amplifier. "Why am I not surprised?"

"I never disappoint, do I, Egghead?" I shot back.

Eggman grinned. "No, you certainly do not. Missile Wrist! Ditch Amy and destroy that hedgehog!"

Missile Wrist, or so I thought the robot was called, casually tossed Amy into the air behind her while simultaneously firing six missiles in my direction. Now it got real. All I needed to do is run up the skyscraper and catch Amy. But with a group of missiles to deal with as well... Eh, who do I think I'm kidding? I've dealt with this before!

So I ran up the vertical surface, deviating to the left of the missiles that passed by me. Without even looking, I could tell they were arcing back up. I'd deal with them in a moment, but safety always comes first.

In two seconds flat, I reached the top of the building, and was met with a crazy sight. Eggman was in his Eggmobile, which was floating next to Missile Wrist. Knuckles was here as well, and he was panting after having made a flying catch to save Amy. I sighed in relief. This made me wonder what they both were doing here. Then again, I knew they would eventually show up.

Before anyone could say anything I saw the missile fly up past me and into the air. They began to arc down toward us. So I leaped on top of Missile Wrist, using him as leverage to boost myself toward the speeding projectiles. I could hear the sound of energy being used behind me, but I couldn't look now, for I had to deal with these missiles first. I executed a homing attack toward the first missile, and easily destroyed it. After doing the same to the next three missiles, I kicked the fifth into the last before aiming myself back toward the roof of the skyscraper. Then I saw what had caused that energy burst.

Missile Wrist was generating a force field out of its chest, imprisoning Knuckles and Amy. I needed to destroy this robot and free them as quickly as possible.

"Sonic! Look out!" Amy called just after Missile Wrist fired both of its hands at me. It was obviously trying to punch me out of the sky. I figured I had no choice but to give it a slap on the wrist. I hopped on top of one of it rounded hands and prepared to ride it back to sender. But when its other hand decided to punch me as well, I hopped on to that hand. And so the process repeated, with me getting closer and closer to Missile Wrist.

"Showoff!" accused Eggman. "You're lucky I didn't bring more Badniks with me."

Huh. I guess I am.

Now that the arms were fully retracted, I just stood there on its left arm and waited for its right arm to smash me in. Fortunately, it did what I wanted it to do, and I hopped off its arm as the other one smashed where I was just standing. Hopefully I could... _disarm_ it. But nope, both hands were intact. This made me wonder what they were made of.

Now that I was on the roof, I quickly located the shield generator embedded in Missile Wrist's chest. Spin-dashing it, I turned back to watch as the force field vanished around Knuckles and Amy.

"Payback time?" Amy asked Knuckles as she drew her Piko Piko Hammer. I flinched a little. Note to self: Never, _never_ make her mad enough to pull out that thing. It hurts like crazy.

"Payback time," Knuckles replied, bumping his fists together. "You take the left hand, I'll take the right!"

"Got it!"

Both of the rushed toward Missile Wrist's hands, and I decided to step back and let them take care of this. Several hits from a pair of fists and a particular hammer later, Missile Wrist's hands were reduced to scrap metal.

"Don't just stand there!" screamed Eggman. "Use your missiles!"

Missile Wrist immediately fired six more missiles directly at me. Making sure they weren't going to hit anyone else, I vaulted myself clear over them and onto Missile Wrist's head. It took about six seconds for the missiles to head back toward me - and Missile Wrist. Now that everything's going according to plan, I leaped off of Missile Wrist and headed back to my friends.

"Get back! It's gonna blow!" I warned.

My warning almost came too late. (What? The fastest thing alive not being fast enough?) No sooner than I said it than the missiles made contact with Eggman's robot, creating a giant explosion. My ears started ringing from the blast, but fortunately no shrapnel flew at us. E-23 was history.

"Give up, Eggy?" I said to our mustachioed pal in the Eggmobile. He growled in frustration, a sound that's music to my ears. As he started to fly away, he left behind a foreboding message.

"You may have won this time, rodents, but don't you for one moment think this is over. This world hasn't seen the last of Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik!"

I for one know that Eggman does not make empty threats. If he says he's going to show up again, then I'm given the liberty to count my chickens before they hatch, because he will return.

I turned around just in time to see Amy running toward me. "Sonic, I knew you'd make it!" she squealed as she began hugging the living daylights out of me.

"Ngh... You're choking me a little..." I protested. "But it's good to see you're here too."

I turned to Knuckles. "Hey, Knux! Good to see you also made it!"

We fist bumped. "Team Sonic just isn't the sane without you," he said. "Then what would it be? Team Knuckles?"

"Dream on, Knux," I snickered.

I saw the Tornado start to approach us. A rope ladder was dropped from the side. "Climb on!" Tails shouted to us.

"Actually, I think I should stay," Knuckles said. "You know, make sure things are okay, and start searching for the Chaos Emeralds."

"No time!" I shouted as the door behind him opened. Several armed men came into view and pointed their guns at us.

"Nobody move!" one of them shouted the moment Amy and I grabbed onto the passing rope ladder. I could hear Knuckles moan "Gah, I forgot about GUN!"

Wait, _what?!_

As Knuckles shrugged and glided toward the rope ladder, I was flabbergasted at what had just transpired. GUN's here too?! Well, if Station Square's also here, then the two must be connected. I bet this world's also got not only its own Commander Abraham Tower, but also its own South Island, New Mobotropolis, and even Chao colonies. But hey, that's all speculation. Anyway, it felt really strange running from GUN. They're the good guys on my world, but they don't know anything about me here. Oh well, they soon will.

As there was no way I could communicate with Tails and Chris, I could still fill in Amy and Knuckles on what's been going on.

"Knuckles. Didn't think you were coming with us," I quipped.

"I'm only coming for a quick bite to eat," he said. "I've been doing thirty-six hours on an empty stomach."

"Ouch," Sonic winced.

"So where have you been staying since you arrived, Sonic?" Amy asked.

"Oh, you're gonna love it," I responded. "It's a giant house on the outskirts of town. I actually discovered it by accident."

"How so?" inquired Amy.

"I... well, it's got this pool. I'll leave it at that."

Amy looked shocked. "So you almost drowned? Who rescued you?"

"An Overlander kid who lives in that house."

"Really?"

"Yeah. In fact, he's up in the Tornado right now!" That reminded me again, I'd have to talk to them about it. This was a dangerous day to be in the Tornado.

Knuckles raised an important point. "Seeing as the Overlanders know nothing about us, are you sure it's safe to be around them for now?"

"Oh yeah. They're just like the ones back home."

"Good to know."

As Tails flew us back home, I could imagine that we were going to have quite a conversation once we landed now that we were all together again.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

The sun was setting by the time we finally arrived home. I was glad to see the driveway beneath the plane. It had been a long and perilous day.

The wheels of the Tornado touched down amazingly smoothly on the driveway, and we slowed as we approached the garage. I removed my helmet, fearing what my helmet hair would look like. Sonic and his other two friends I have yet to meet leaped off the rope ladder before Tails began to turn the plane around, so that it would be ready for its next takeoff.

Once we slowed to a complete stop, Tails converted the Tornado back into its original form. I looked down, wondering how I was to disembark from the plane. Tails noticed my predicament. "Oh, sorry. The Tornado isn't made for Overlanders. I'll help you down."

Standing up in his seat and facing me, Tails did something I thought wasn't possible. His twin tails started spinning at a high speed behind him, fast enough that they sounded like propellers. Then he actually _lifted himself into the air_ using his tails as a propeller, and extended his hands to me. "Grab on!" he invited.

As awe-stricken as I was, I complied and took hold of his hands. It felt strange to be lifted out of my seat and into the air by an alien I had only just met yesterday. He gently lowered me to the ground before landing in front of me.

I was still amazed that Tails could actually fly. Too bad Grandpa didn't see.

"Y-you can fly?" I forced the words out. "But... H-how...?"

Tails blushed, rubbing the back of his head. "It's just something I can do, really."

"Welcome back, heroes!" Grandpa called from the garage. "I ordered you all Subway!"

Sure enough, Grandpa had ordered subs and drinks enough for eight - himself, me, Sonic, Tails, Cream, Cheese, and their other two friends I haven't met yet. (One of them was a muscular Mobian with powerful-looking mittens. He was sort of hanging by himself. The other was a female Mobian (hedgehog, I presumed?) wearing a red dress and headband. She was engaged in conversation with Cream.) There were seven chairs and two folding tables set up in the garage, and the food was already set up on the tables.

"Why don't we all take a seat," Grandpa invited as he sat down. "We've got a lot to talk about."

We all headed into the garage and took seats. Tails and Cream sat at one of the tables, while Sonic sat at the other. The two new Mobians approached me and Grandpa.

"Introductions," Grandpa started. "I'm Chuck, and this is my grandson Chris."

"Hi! My name's Amy Rose," the female Mobian introduced as we shook hands, "and I'm Sonic's girlfriend!"

"Nope!" called Sonic from his table, which resulted in him being scowled at by Amy, though in a playful manner.

"I'm Knuckles the Echidna," the muscular red Mobian said as he shook my hand. He had a firm grip, but hey, at least it's not bone-crushing.

Amy went over to speak with Sonic, and I headed to my seat, where Tails and Cream were. Cream was sitting across from me, and Tails was at my right. Grandpa sat at the other table to the left of Sonic. I was just stating to unwrap my sub when Knuckles passed my seat and approached Tails.

"Tails. You took an Overlander with you in the Tornado. Isn't that reckless?"

Whoa. I didn't know this was going to cause concern among the others.

"It's fine," Tails reassured the echidna. "I needed his help in trying to find Sonic, and besides, he wanted to come."

"But you could have gotten him killed!" Knuckles fired back.

I would have said something, but it's hard to come up with a good reason for why I went if we were going out into battle against Dr. Eggman.

Tails sighed. "I know. But there really wasn't time to drop him off back here, not with Eggman."

"Besides all the lasers and Missile Wrist trying to hit us, I thought it was fun," I added.

Knuckles crossed his arms. "Hmph. Well, be careful next time," he grunted before heading back to his table. He took his seat next to Chuck at the other table.

As I began eating, I noticed how Tails was quiet. Perhaps he regretted taking me out. I know I was shot at by Eggman's Badniks (or whatever they were called), and attacked by Eggman's robot, and even almost plunged to my death in the Tornado had Tails not acted quickly. All things considered, it was a pretty interesting experience. At least I'm eating _after_ flying around in the Tornado.

After a moment Amy came over and occupied the last seat at the end of the table.

"Chris, I wanted to thank you for rescuing Sonic from the pool when he arrived," she told me. "You see, he's got hydrophobia, and can't swim at all."

"So _that's_ why he couldn't climb out of the pool," I mused.

"Yeah, he just sinks like a rock whenever he's in the water."

I thought for a moment. "Maybe if everyone gets used to you guys, we could give Sonic swimming lessons."

Amy sighed. "I've already tried that. Like, three times! And he won't stop being paranoid. Ugh, sometimes he gets me so worked up!"

"Miss Amy," Cream said gently, trying to calm her down. The hedgehog sighed.

"Sorry, Cream," she said quietly. "You know how I am with Sonic."

The conversation at our table was quiet after that. I was left to my meatball marinara footlong, one of my new favorite flavors. It was quiet enough at our table to hear some of the conversation at the other table.

"No, I still think it was my fault it happened," Knuckles said apologetically.

"Knux, it totally wasn't your fault!" Sonic was saying. "Dude, you were awesome! The way you punched that robot, I mean, I couldn't do it even if I tried!"

"Yeah, I'll admit that," Knuckles flashed a grin. "But I had no idea it was going to explode like that. I didn't know the shrapnel was going to embed itself in Eggman's machine."

"No, remember what I said; it's Eggman's fault in the long run," called Amy from next to me.

Sonic smirked. "Amy's right, you know," he said. "You didn't do anything wrong. In fact, you totally foiled Eggman's plan!" He winked at Knuckles.

Tails turned to Amy. "That's an interesting way to put it, Amy," he complimented.

"Thanks," she said.

"By the way, what's in these subs?" Sonic asked. "They're almost as good as chili dogs!"

Chuck laughed a little. "I can tell you that a lot of time, energy, and love are put into them."

Knuckles scooted his chair back and stood up. "I don't care who was responsible for causing Chaos Control. I'm going to make sure we gather all seven Chaos Emeralds, keep them away from Eggman, get us home, and get me back to the Master Emerald, and as quickly as possible."

"Heh. You always loved your treasure hunts," Sonic teased.

"This time, I'm afraid it's not just a treasure hunt. This is a hunt that will impact our future as we know it. Whether we get to go back to Mobius or not. And frankly, I'd rather Rouge not touch the Master Emerald while I'm away."

"Don't worry about it," Sonic reassured. "So far, there's no sign that Rouge is here, but if you're lucky enough, maybe she _is_ here on this world so that she can be away from the Master Emerald. And if she's here, I'm sure she's out looking for a certain red echidna-"

"Stop it!" Knuckles roared, blushing a little. This heralded giggles from Tails and Amy. I didn't see what was so funny.

"In all seriousness, Knuckles, we'll help you find the Emeralds. Deal?"

"Deal," he said, and he and Sonic fist bumped. "It would be greatly appreciated. The sooner we get them, the sooner we can go home."

Knuckles, having finished his sub, Knuckles tossed his trash into the nearby bin. "Welp, I'm going to get a head start on the Emeralds. Thanks for dinner, Chuck. Take care, all."

We watched as Knuckles walked down the driveway. There was a lot on my mind now, but one question surfaced above them all.

"He's leaving?"

Sonic, who had overheard, walked over to our table. "He's a loner by nature. He's got his own path to take." Lowering his voice, he added, "It's pretty boring compared to our path." I cracked a smile.

Amy stood up, having finished her sub as well. Cream looked at her sadly. "Are you leaving too, Miss Amy?"

The pink hedgehog immediately smiled. "Of course not! There's nowhere for me to go out there, and besides, Chris and Chuck are good hosts!" She hugged Cream, and I had to smile. They were like sisters to each other.

"Sonic?"

"Hm?"

"Do you have any other friends on this world?" I asked.

"Hmm... Well, unless you count Eggman, then no, I can't say that I do. I do have other friends back home, though."

"Mr. Chuck?" Cream called from her half-eaten sub. "I can't finish..."

"Chao..." Cheese echoed.

"That's okay, Cream. I'll put it away for you for later," Chuck replied as he got up.

"So we're all together again," Sonic stated absent-mindedly, and the others smiled. "Hopefully never to be separated across time and space again."

By this point Tails and I have also finished eating. As Chuck wrapped Cream's sub back in its wrapper, my thoughts began whirling faster. The Mobians had terms that didn't make sense!

Chaos Emeralds?  
Eggman's machine?  
Chaos Control?  
Master Emerald?  
Rouge?

"Did I miss something earlier?" I asked everyone.

"What do you mean?" Tails asked.

"I mean... I don't get what you're talking about. For example, what's Chaos Control?"

"Ah... Now that's a topic that can't be explained easily," Sonic said. "In fact, our whole journey is quite a story, so you're gonna want to sit down for it, okay? Tell you what - it's been a rough past two days for us Mobians, so why don't you join us tomorrow morning and we'll tell you all about it. Sound good?"

"Yeah," I nodded.

"Are you all ready for bed now?" Chuck asked the Mobians. Sonic, Amy, and Cream said yes.

"I want to get to work on a device that can help us find the Chaos Emeralds," Tails replied.

"All right," Chuck said. "Now that all of you are here, I want this to be a quick reminder for you Mobians: Please don't let Chris' guardians see you at any time, or anyone else for that matter. The world isn't ready for you yet."

"Yes, sir," replied Tails, Amy, and Cream. I already new Sonic might break this rule a couple of times.

"Okay. I'll get an extra inflatable mattress for Amy."

"Not to be rude," Sonic started, "but hasn't half the town seen us already?"

"Yes, I'm aware of that," Chuck answered, "but it's a safety precaution so that we don't have more trouble than we already might have. Should Dr. Eggman appear again, stop him by all means, but just don't let our servants Ella and Tanaka see you."

"Okay," Sonic replied.

"Amy, Cream, and Cheese, you three can head on upstairs. I'll be with you in a few moments," Chuck replied as he continued searching for the inflatable mattress.

Amy led the way into Grandpa's lab. Cream followed, having to lift her small legs high in order to climb the stairs.

"Might as well hit the hay myself," Sonic announced. "Night, y'all." He darted out of the garage before leaping onto the roof. I could tell it was one of his favorite resting places lately.

"All right, Chris, why don't you head inside," Chuck said. "Tell Ella you already ate here while working on my 'secret project'. I'm sure she'll understand."

"Okay, Grandpa," I answered. "See you tomorrow!"

"Good night, Chris!"

I exited out the side door, noting that Grandpa's note from yesterday was still there. Good. Hopefully it would hold out for a little while longer. I broke into a sprint toward the house, feeling elated. I had not one, not two, but _four_ friends living here with me! (Actually five, if you count Cheese.) And all of them are unlike any of the other kids at school. These are genuine friends, and I haven't even known them for two days. Even though they were going to try to sleep now, far be it from me tonight. I would be wide awake with excitement. I couldn't wait for tomorrow, so that I could hear their story of how they got here. Normal has officially become boring for me. I embraced the new normal with all I had. Even if Eggman was out there, I knew my friends could stop him. But that wasn't one of my current problems. My only problem was how I was going to hide my uncontrollable wide smile from Ella and Tanaka.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Eggman was riding the metro elevator directly from the hidden runway to his command center, pondering the day's invasion and conflict with Sonic the Hedgehog. He was not overly surprised that he and his friends showed up that day to thwart his plan to take over Station Square. He also wasn't surprised at the mayor's resilience. After all, not too many people, Mobians and Overlanders alike, agreed with blackmail and guilt tactics. He promised himself that he would return tomorrow with a stronger robot, and teach that hedgehog a lesson, as well as make the city pay for their senseless resistance to such a simple demand.

As soon as the doors opened, he was greeted by the sight of both his hench-bots, Decoe and Bocoe.

"Welcome back, Doctor," Decoe greeted.

"Ah, I see you've repaired Bocoe," noted Eggman. "Can't have my strategy specialist without a weapons specialist. Anything else noteworthy that went on here? Namely, _Bokkun_?"

Decoe and Bocoe looked taken aback a little.

"I can see the guilt in your eyes," Eggman remarked. "Bokkun got in my candy supply. Why didn't you stop him?!"

"It isn't _my_ fault I was preoccupied with Bocoe's repairs!" Decoe shot back.

Eggman wisely held back his temper. It may have been a small matter, but Eggman valued his candy supply which he had in his little spare time. "How much did he eat?" he sighed.

"My post-analysis reveals Bokkun ate 23% of your candy supply before the security robots finally arrived to tranquilize him," Bocoe answered.

"We apologize, Doctor," Decoe responded. "However, there is good news."

"Well? Tell me!" begged the doctor.

"The Chaos energy scanner is once again operational. An initial scan reveals large amounts of energy in the northern part of Station Square."

Eggman's eyebrows raised. "A Chaos Emerald..." he realized what this meant.

"Affirmative."

"What measures do you want to take, Doctor?" Bocoe asked.

Eggman thought for a moment. "As much as I want to get my hands on that Emerald, I'm not going back into the city today. Instead, I have... other means. Decoe, summon two Egg Pawns to the command center. It doesn't matter which two."

"Yes, Doctor."

As the tall yellow robot left the room, Eggman looked around the command center. It was absolutely spotless. Not a trace of the Chaos Roboticizer existed in the room. While he waited, Eggman walked over to his drawer of robot cards and opened it. He removed the rubber band from the deck and began to search for a particular card. Bocoe saw this.

"I thought you were not returning the the city, Doctor."

"I'm not," Eggman replied. "I'm just separating the Missile Wrist card so it's not accidentally chosen tomorrow. Remind me to produce more of them. Ah, here it is."

He pulled the single card from the deck and placed it alone in the drawer before binding the cards back together. Placing the deck back in the drawer, he closed it. Just then Decoe returned with two Egg Pawns.

"Here you are, Doctor," Decoe presented.

Eggman crossed the room and opened another drawer. "Bocoe, download the coordinates of the Chaos Emerald into these Egg Pawns," instructed as he pulled out two wristband-like devices.

"You two are going to head to the coordinates that will be downloaded onto your memory banks in a moment. These are the coordinates of a Chaos Emerald." He began to snap the devices onto the right wrists of the Egg Pawns. "These perception filters will protect you as you head out into the city. Any unsuspecting Overlander will think that you look just like one of them. But we will know who you are. Take separate paths to the coordinates, and also take shifts, so as not to arouse suspicion. Once you arrive, you two will stay in the area and guard the Emerald until I arrive to pick it up tomorrow. Understood?"

 _"Yes, Dr. Eggman!"_ The two Egg Pawns droned in unison.

"Download complete," Bocoe reported.

"That's your cue," Eggman announced.

"But Doctor," interjected Decoe, "how will they get to the mainland?"

"One of my Egg Submarines will indiscreetly beam them onto the shore," he answered. To the Egg Pawns, he said, "Be on your way now."

The two robots saluted and left. Eggman sat down in his command chair and pulled up a live image of Station Square. He leaned back in contentment. The Emerald was practically in his grasp. The only downside was that anyone could find it before then... but he highly doubted it.

All told, today was not a total loss for Eggman. Instead, it was more like testing the waters of a whole new world. Come tomorrow, he would be ready to jump in the deep end. Victory would be his. He was sure of it.

* * *

 **A/N:** And that's "Missile Wrist Rampage"! I _loved_ writing the Eggman scenes. I'm also amazed at the way Amy came out. I don;t know if Knuckles is a little OOC, though... Anyway, there were quite a few points to bring up, such as:

 _-Isn't flying in a Mobian bi-plane kinda scary?  
_ _-I merged the last scene of "Sonic to the Rescue" with the first scene of this episode and extended it, bringing readers up to speed with Eggman.  
-I added a new scene at Thorndyke Mansion near the end. It never showed how Chris met Amy and Knuckles.  
-The only reason I had Knuckles come to the mansion was because he hadn't eaten since arriving on Earth.  
-Badniks!  
-I added another Eggman scene near the end so that this episode doesn't feel so much like a one-off episode.  
-I also had the Tornado take off once instead of twice. It made more sense that way. Besides, post-Forces Tails knows that Sonic will return, but it wouldn't hut to look._

Let me know how I'm doing with everyone's characters - even Decoe, Bocoe and Bokkun; they were used a lot during this chapter. Reviews and constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.

Next up is Chaos Emerald Cha- no, no, _no,_ I'm _so_ changing that name. That title's too cringey.

Until next time, everybody, build up hype for the Sonic movie which may actually be good!

...Still better than "Do the Sonic..."


	4. The First Emerald

_School is in Session! The First Chaos Emerald_

 ** ** **Note (2/15/20): In a few months, this chapter will be updated to reflect my current writing style, as well as fix some errors.******

 **A/N:** Finally, it's update time! This one is a personal favorite of mine in the New World Saga, up there with Party Hardly and Satellite Swindle. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Also, I'm now working on the full plot for Party Hardly, and my backlog document is nearly at fifty pages! If you have any questions about future chapters, feel free to ask them!

Story update: I've switched out the "Tails' POV" scene in Chapter 1 with a much-improved third-person POV scene. You might want to go back and check it out. I also plan to revise the Sam Speed POV scenes, as well as fix other errors in Chapters 2 and 3.

I've finally finished watching the Metarex Saga, which is probably one of the reasons this might be delayed a little. (BTW, I didn't cry at the Cosmo scene; I knew it was coming.) I also transcripted the whole thing at the Transcripts Wiki, so that writing the chapters will be easier. I would say my favorite episodes are "Cosmic Crisis", "A Chilling Discovery", "Teasing Time", "A Revolutionary Tale", "Hedgehog Hunt", and "The Cosmo Conspiracy". So now I can say I've watched through the entire series of Sonic X. (BTW, I watched the Japanese sub; it totally beats the dub. But I think I can do better than even the sub.)

Random note: It struck me that Sonic X has at least four overused characters: The President, Scarlet Garcia, Jerome Wise, and Mr. Stewart. The President shows up at odd places, notably at the beginning of "Depths of Danger". Also, the Area 99 guys at the beginning of "Satellite Swindle" screamed "Call the President!", but guess who didn't appear that whole episode? Also, the President is not a superhero, get your facts straight! And don't even get me started on the tournament! Sorry, I'm ranting, even though there's a _lot_ more I can say about him. Scarlet Garcia also shows up at odd places. If the city Chris resides in during the Shadow Saga is different than Station Square, then why are Scarlet Garcia, Mr. Stewart, and some familiar-looking cops there? And the President, Christina Cooper, and Sam Speed? As for Jerome, how does he do from "hero" to zero so quickly? And who is Vivian, and how can he not hold a job down? Also, Mr. Stewart butts into scenes he probably shouldn't be in, most notably in "Little Chao Lost" and "Emerald Anniversary". I mean, what does Tanaka want with him, anyway? (Side note: I don't think Sam Speed is really overused, but he can easily be cut out of "How to Catch a Hedgehog".)

And now a note about the chapter itself: I added a few more details with the school scenes, though I don't know how accurate they really are. The reason for this is because I was homeschooled, meaning the only time I ever set foot inside a public school was to vote.

As we are dealing with politics with the President's scene, I don't want to show my own political views here, as this isn't the place to debate politics. However, I _can_ say that I am going to switch the order of the President's scene with the Chaos Emerald talk scene.

All right, I think that's enough about me; now let's get to reviews and what matters most: the chapter itself!

* * *

 _ **GuardianDragon98**_

 _Another update to the best rewrite of Sonic X I have ever seen!_

 _I'm glad you had Sonic and Knuckles interact positively with one another. Let's just hope our Guardian of the Master Emerald won't be so gullible to fall for Eggman's tricks this time._

 _And the surprise the Mobians have at discovering GUN's existence on Earth was a great touch. Huh, I wonder how Shadow would react to that..._

 _This was a great chapter :) Loved reading every sentence of it!_

 **Thanks; I loved writing every sentence of it!**

 **I don't know... With "Cracking Knuckles" coming up next chapter, will Knuckles still be deceived? Or will he learn from his mistakes? Only one way to find out!**

 _ **The Green Seer**_

 _(Too long to repost, but I'll reply anyway)_

 **Yeah, this is a post-Forces rewrite, so the events of those games did already happen. On a related note, sorry, I don't plan on adding the Babylon Rogues or the Deadly Six in this rewrite; I wouldn't really be able to find a place for them. They would have to probably be Chaos Controlled to Earth as well.**

 **I greatly enjoyed the Metarex Saga, even more than I thought I would. I have over 9,000 ideas for it, especially for "Teasing Time". More on that later...**

 **I too am glad I decided to stick to only Sonic and Chris' POVs. Had I not done that immediately, I would have had the scene with Knuckles in the sewer be in his perspective, and several scenes in "The Last Resort" be in Amy's perspective, and I find both characters on the difficult side to write for. For the Metarex Saga, I also plan to write in Cosmo's POV.**

 **Looking back, I think I did make Knuckles a little too nice. And there really wasn't any reason for him to bring up his situation again to Sonic. I'll have that edited soon. But yes, I'm keeping the banter about Rouge. ;) Knuckles is probably one of the hardest characters to keep in character, but I've never written for Rouge or Shadow yet, so this could change.**

 **On the other hand, I find Sonic and Tails easy to write for. I can easily whip up a few lines for Sonic. And I must say, even I like the new Chris I came up with. He's not the whiny, role-stealing kid people accuse him of being. Amy is more difficult, especially since she is one of my top favorite characters. *blushes* Eggman is fun to write for. I like having the robots be his "family". As for Decoe and Bocoe, I didn't really care for them in the anime, which is why I'm reworking them here. They almost ruined the scene with Black Narcissus when they said "We're _also_ bodyguards? I thought we were comedy robots!" Well, they're not comedy robots here, I'll tell you that.**

 **Ah yes, Matt Thorndyke. I know there ae way too many people with way to many OCs, and I'll tell you, he will be my only major OC for this rewrite, not counting Barney Evans, Sean Rodham, etc. Even then, he will not appear all that often, but I initially came up with him to (sort of) represent myself, and to replace Tanaka at the end of the Shadow Saga. I'm trying not to rant about how Tanaka held Amy back in "Showdown in Space". I also plan to have Matt replace Chris for the entirety of the Metarex Saga, as I don't want to age Chris. Matt also represents the older Chris. Anyway, you can expect to first see him in my rewrite of "Party Hardly" in Chapter 7.**

 **As for Infinite... #KnowingSmile**

 **And no, you're not rambling at all. I love reading reviews, especially lengthy ones; they always make my day. I'm glad you love the story as much as I love writing it!**

 _ **Guest**_

 _If you do put the Freedom Fighters in this story, will you make Sonic and Sally a couple and when will Shadow make an appearance?_

 **I don't have plans to add the Freedom Fighters into this story, as I don't want to have too many characters appear at once. You might get a mention or something later on, though. Also, I'm more of a Sonamy person than a Sonally person, but won't prevent me from having Sonic and Sally have feelings for each other, though.**

 **As for Shadow, he will first appear in my rewrite of "Project Shadow" in Chapter 33 as per the original anime. But why were they churning out promotional content with Shadow right at the beginning when he didn't appear until much later?**

 _ **SwanGirl24**_

 _Will you include a scene of Helen meeting Shadow? (Since fans say that Helen looks a lot like Maria Robotnik.)_

 **No, sorry. For one, Helen lived fifty years in the past, and two, I have different plans for Maria. _Maybe_ If Chris can find a way to travel to the past in addition to Sonic's world...**

 _ **The Dragon Legend**_

 _I'm liking these extra details, like the questions running through Eggman's head when he wakes up in a new world. That's part of what I love about adaptations/novelizations._

 _Also, thanks for the compliments!_

 **I enjoy writing these extra details. They seem to be easier with first-person POVs, though, but I enoy them nonetheless. Of course, there will be more this chapter as well.**

 **You're welcome! You might be interested in "My Arms Are Blue!" by _thekyuubivixen_ , which is about the Sonic gang watching and reacting to Sonic Boom. It is among the most hilarious stories I have ever read. You can find it in my favorites.**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I do not own any elements in this story except for my own characters. Sonic the Hedgehog is owned by SEGA, who does not endorse or affiliate itself with this work of fiction. Real world locations and organizations are used fictitiously. Real world people will be mentioned, but will not appear, in order to adhere with "Entries not allowed" Rule 4._

It's time for "Chaos Emerald Chaos", which is a the Chaos Emeralds causing Chaos, and let's not talk about the Chaos or Perfect Chaos. It's becoming a heroes, gyros, and euros thing, isn't it.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Red-eye flights were not his cup of tea.

Having concluded a well-needed vacation at his Mar-a-Lago resort, President Michael Klaus Remerson was flying Air Force One back to Washington. He stifled a yawn as he pondered what he had been briefed on while in Florida.

To start with, he wished he could believe what he had been told. Apparently aliens had showed up in the city of Station Square. The President knew that somewhere, somehow, aliens existed, but he never thought they were anything like the ones Station Square got. While the hundreds of reports that came in estimated three or four aliens, all of them were consistent with the fact that they resembled anthropomorphic animals of some sort. More than that, they seemed to be very intelligent.

Another astonishing side of the story was who these aliens were fighting. They appeared to be in combat with one Dr. Ivo Robotnik, nicknamed Dr. Eggman. From the start it was evident that he was a terrorist. He had threatened Mayor Pinsky into surrendering his city so that he could build what was called the "Eggman Empire". He would have to look into what this empire was, as well as try to stop Dr. Robotnik at all costs.

While America was involved in a war on terrorism, Dr. Robotnik seemed to be an entirely different kind altogether. He had utilized a giant robot that caused mass destruction in a localized part of the city. At a glance, the technology that was used in Robotnik's robot far exceeded human technology. Yet, Robotnik looked like a human, judging by the foreboding message he had giving yesterday. He had played that clip about three times, listening carefully to his demands. Robotnik had mentioned someone called Sonic the Hedgehog. This could be the name given to one of the aliens that stood out in particular, but this had yet to be confirmed. According to eyewitnesses, the alien appeared to be a cobalt blue in color, with well-defined quills, red sneakers, and white gloves like the ones all those Disney characters wear.

This alien had single-handedly destroyed the robot that Dr. Robotnik was controlling. Its method was unique: it actually curled into a tight ball and used its entire spinning body as a weapon. But this wasn't how it destroyed the robot. Instead, it used the robot's own missiles against it, destroying it. Robotnik fled the scene afterward. According to sources in Station Square, cleanup was still ongoing, and it could be a year until the Eckstein Building fully reopened.

This whole situation seemed too cartoonish to be real. And yet it was very real. This reminded President Remerson of the superhero comic books he used to read as a kid. They always had the bad guys causing espionage, sometimes with machines, and the good guys always coming in to save the day. Now, at sixty-eight years of age, it appeared that these superheroes were not completely fiction as he once thought they were.

The sound of someone clearing his throat brought him back to reality. He was sharing his cabin aboard Air Force One with Chief of Staff Jerome Wise. The holdover from the previous President, who was a Democrat, Wise had done some questionable things in the past, but supported President Remerson nonetheless.

"You're still thinking about the briefing, aren't you?" he asked in his slight southern accent. The President silently nodded.

Jerome adjusted himself in his seat. "I know, it's hard to imagine that alien life actually exists, and is walking among us right now."

"Yes," the President said. "So far, they have not shown any type of aggression toward our people. This makes me wonder what their culture is like."

"Let's face it; they're here, they have weapons unknown to our society, they've proved that they are dangerous. Something needs to be done about them," Jerome said.

"We'll work something out," the President promised.

"On a related note," Jerome continued, "We've received a number of calls and emails concerning the aliens. Of course, many are from concerned American citizens, as well as our senators and representatives, but I believe two in particular stand out." He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and opened his email.

"These two that stand out... Did they actually have an encounter with the prominent alien, the one Dr. Robotnik called 'Sonic'?" President Remerson asked.

"Well... one of them did." He opened a folder marked Important, bringing up the two emails.

"The first one is from Station Square's Mayor Aaron Pinsky. He theorized that Robotnik, despite his human appearances, is also an alien, and is most likely from the same planet the other aliens are from. We have already confirmed his claim that Robotnik's technology far exceeds our own. He also goes on to say that the debris from Robotnik's robot has been cleared from the streets and is being prepared for analysis at Area 99."

The President nodded. "Inform me once the analysis is complete. What's the other email?"

"The second email is from Professor Ray Browning, head of Area 99's Research and Development. He witnessed one of the aliens, which he claims to resemble a blue hedgehog, stealing an alien test subject and destroying at least a quarter of Area 99's surveillance devices. Area 99 estimates damages to amount to over two hundred thousand dollars."

The President sat back and closed his tired, aching eyes. "Mm-hmm. And when was this?"

"This past Saturday, Mr. President," came the response.

Saturday was reportedly the alien's first full day on Earth. While he may have single-handedly (and temporarily) defeated Dr. Robotnik, breaking into Area 99, however, was unpardonable. Jerome was right. The alien could be dangerous. Something had to be done. This could not be ignored.

Just then Jerome's phone rang. The Chief of Staff pressed the button to answer it. Fortunately it was on loudspeaker, so the President could hear too.

"Hello?"

 _"Hello, Mr. Wise. Is the President there?"_ the man on the other end spoke. It was Rod Stafford, the Secretary of Homeland Security.

"Yes, Mr. Secretary."

 _"Good,"_ Stafford said. _"I have a new development concerning Station Square's aliens."_

President Remerson sat up. "Go ahead."

Stafford cleared his throat. _"As you might already know, the alien is codenamed 'Sonic the Hedgehog'. We received more proof of this via the Station Square Police Department. But the real news comes from the CIA. CIA operatives in Station Square have confirmed the location of Sonic's residence."_

Remerson's interest was piqued. "Where?"

 _"They are staying at Thorndyke Mansion. Yes, you heard me right -_ the _home of Starship Soft's CEO Nelson Thorndyke."_

"Really?" The President was surprised. "Well... this is quite a development. What measures do you propose to take?"

 _"Nothing yet,"_ came the response, _"but I spoke with the CIA Director last night. We've agreed to secretly warn the Thorndyke family of the potential dangers these aliens pose."_

"Wait on that for the time being," the President decided. "We need to weigh in all the options first, and besides, there have been no reports of the aliens - those affiliated with this Sonic, I mean - attacking our people."

"And what of Robotnik?" Wise asked.

 _"The military got him on radar. We traced him to a mysterious headquarters on Santa Rosa Island, some one hundred miles away from Station Square. It's in the Channel Islands National Park."_

"And we've not seen anything of this headquarters?" The President asked.

 _"It wasn't there last week,"_ Stafford replied.

"Interesting," muttered the President. "What actions have you taken after learning of Robotnik's headquarters?"

 _"We've dispatched a navy reconnaissance team last night to the island to keep tabs on Robotnik. They should arrive at the island by late morning."_

There was a pregnant pause.

"Dr. Robotnik must be stopped as soon as possible. Already he has proven to be a true threat to the American people."

"He will be stopped, Mr. President..." Wise reassured. "You can count on it."

"For the time being," the President folded his hands, "we need to learn all we can on this Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends. Perhaps we can do it through the Thorndykes."

 _"I've done my own research on the family. Nelson and Lindsey Thorndyke are currently not at home, and we don't know when they will return. However, they_ do _have a twelve-year-old son, Christopher by name. We can learn about Sonic through him."_

"This will be difficult without arousing the suspicions of him or his family," the President mused. Then, as if out of the blue, he asked "What school does he go to?"

 _"Oakview Elementary, Mr. President. I have already appointed an agent to the school to fill in for his current teacher, Wendy Westerly, who, coincidentally, is on leave to compete in the International Spelling Bee. He had made arrangements with the superintendent to teach young Mr. Thorndyke's class, while secretly and casually obtaining information on Sonic and his species."_

The President nodded. "I approve. Have this agent report back to the CIA each day after school with new developments."

 _"Yes, Mr. President."_

"Contact me with any new developments as you receive them.

 _"Yes, sir."_

With that, they hung up. Jerome turned to the President, a questioning look on his face. "Shouldn't we be more concerned about Dr. Robotnik?" he asked.

"It appears to be an internal affair," the President explained, "but we are monitoring the situation. Should the need arise, we will act swiftly.

"And yet we can't ignore Robotnik's warning message," Jerome countered.

"You're right," President Remerson nodded.

As Air Force One continued its fight back to Washington, the President knew that Robotnik had to be dealt with first, then Sonic, or so the rumors called him. Robotnik was far more dangerous, and his full capabilities were unknown.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

Having finished breakfast, I got up and prepared to leave. "Bye, Ella! Thanks for breakfast!" I called.

"You seem to be in a hurry," Ella noted as she cleaned up.

"Well, yeah. I need to prepare quickly if I want to get to school on time," I answered.

Ella glanced at the dining room clock. "But it's barely 7:40."

"...I wanted to make sure I had enough time to say goodbye to So- _Grandpa_ ," I amended. _And hear Sonic's story of how he got here_ , I mentally added. I can't believe I had slipped up just then.

"That reminds me, I'm curious as to why he wants me and Tanaka out of the garage. Did I hear something about a secret project?" she asked.

I didn't know what to say at first. "Yes. It should be done in a couple weeks. Grandpa says it'll really benefit the family." Whew. I just dodged a bullet.

"All right, Chris." We exchanged a hug. "Enjoy your first day in sixth grade!" she called after me as I left the room.

"I will," I promised. "Bye, Ella!"

Checking to make sure I had my backpack, I took off out the front door and made a beeline for the garage. I couldn't wait to have something illogical explained to me. Isn't that weird or what? I remembered yesterday hearing something about Chaos Emeralds, Eggman's machine... Chaos Control? All would be revealed, I told myself.

I entered the garage through the side door, glad that Ella and Tanaka hadn't entered the garage. The first thing I heard was the sound of quiet voices upstairs. This was my invitation... and I accepted.

I ascended the stairs and slowly pushed the trap door open. Upon entering Grandpa's lab, I saw that he was seated at his desk, his computer displaying the 3D pipes screensaver. Tails, Amy, and Cream were seated on beanbags. The three inflatable mattresses were deflated and neatly stored in the corner.

"And here he is," Grandpa announced. The Mobians smiled as I entered the lab and closed the trap door. "You can sit on the bed if you want," invited Grandpa. "We were just talking about what Mobius was like. It's a beautiful planet, with lush forests, green hills, and the occasional city. Sounds like something we might see here, only more..." he fumbled for the right word.

"Pure?" Amy suggested.

"Yes. Pure," he finished. "Maybe I could visit some day."

"Some day," Tails said. "That is, _if_ we can find a way back home."

"Where's Sonic?" I asked. "I thought he's going to tell us about how you all came here."

"He is," answered Tails. "He told me that he wants to have an early morning run every day for as long as he's here. He should be back any moment."

"What's the backpack for, Chris?" Amy asked, before realizing why I had it. "Oh, are you having school today?"

"Yeah," I answered. "Today's the first day of sixth grade, and I need to be there in twenty minutes."

"Oh, okay," Amy said. "Hopefully Sonic doesn't keep us waiting for long."

Even though I knew that they could just as easily tell the story without Sonic, I'm sure the hedgehog saw some things in a perspective the others didn't.

True to his word, Sonic burst through the trap door a moment later. "Aaaand I'm back!" he announced. "Morning, Chris! Sleep well?"

"I did," I responded. ...Okay, maybe that was a little white lie. I couldn't sleep much knowing it would be story time soon.

"Everyone here?" he asked as he quietly counted heads. Then he leaped over onto the windowsill.

"So!... Ready to hear about how we got here?" Grandpa and I nodded.

"All right, so the night we got here, we had a huge battle with Eggman. It started out kinda ordinary, actually. First, I should tell you that fighting Eggman is normal for us. We usually square off a couple times a week."

What? How could fighting someone as dangerous as Dr. Eggman be _normal_?

Chuck looked a little less surprised. "How do you cope with the stress? I mean, it's war. Do you ever live in peace?"

"Oh, sure," Sonic answered. "Many of our encounters with Eggman are just skirmishes. Sometimes we've gone for a month or so without ever seeing him. As for stress, we just kinda deal with it. In my case specifically, I have loads of fun trashing Eggman's robots.

"Anyway, that one night. Eggman had six out of seven of these powerful artifacts called Chaos Emeralds. He took them from us right before I found the last one. Eggman eventually found out about the last Emerald, and kidnapped Cream as ransom for it. So Tails, Amy and I staged a rescue mission. We knew we had to stop Eggman before he used the Chaos Emeralds' power to make a machine turn everyone within 100 miles into robots."

Grandpa and I gasped simultaneously. How could this be? I thought destroying a city with a robot was bad enough, but Dr. Eggman has just proven himself to be a real threat. If he can turn _everyone_ within 100 miles into robots... then we would be in serious trouble. And to think he's beaten by Sonic before breakfast daily.

"...I never knew he was capable of such a thing," Grandpa said grimly.

"Oh, it gets worse," Sonic said. "He's used the Egg Grapes, World Roboticizer - even split Mobius apart once. So yeah, he's no yolk - see what I did there?" he lightened the situation a little.

"He seriously split the world apart?!" I was incredulous.

"All thanks to a powerful entity called Dark Gaia," Sonic said. "But we stopped them."

"It's not going to happen again, Chris," reassured Tails. "The world was put back together again, and Eggman doesn't have the resources to do it while he's here."

"The more you mention Eggman, the more it's scaring me," Chris admitted.

"That's why we're here," Sonic said. "We've taken down Eggman hundreds of times before. Yesterday was no different.

"Back to the story, we succeeded in breaking into the base and freeing Cream and Cheese. Knuckles showed up and helped us destroy a security robot. I'm not sure what happened. Knuckles claims that shrapnel hit the machine which caused it to malfuction. While it _was_ hit by the robot's shrapnel, I think it could be something different. But what mattered was that all seven Chaos Emeralds were still powering the Chaos Roboticizer, as Eggman called it. Someting happened, and Chaos Control ensued, sending us all here."

"What's Chaos Control?" I asked.

"Chaos Control... That's a burst of power that the Chaos Emeralds can give off, which can transport its user through time and space. Anyone can use it, actually. But the thing is, Chaos Control has never happened on a scale like that before. Normally Chaos Control only transports people who are touching the Emeralds. That's a mystery we still need to solve."

"Fascinating," Chuck said as he took in all that Sonic had said. "Now, can you tell me what these 'Chaos Emeralds' are?"

Tails looked thoughtful. "They have a complicated history, but we've gotta make it short since Chris has school. Basically, they're powerful gemstones that can physically empower certain users."

I perked up, but Amy saw the look in my eyes.

"I know what you're thinking, Chris, and no, humans can't use the Chaos Emeralds like that." She smirked. "Nice try, though."

Okay, that made sense. So I guess other-worldly gems are only made for other-worldly people. I could live with that.

"What else can they do?" Chuck asked.

"I've used them to power machines," answered Tails. "Also, in the case of a dire emergency, Sonic can use the power of all seven Emeralds to transform into a superpowered state in which he's known as Super Sonic. That's what we call 'going super'."

"So far, there hasn't been a single enemy I couldn't beat when super," Sonic bragged. I just hoped this was true, and not him tooting his own horn.

"Here, I'll pull up an image of them, so you'll know what they look like if you find one," Tails said as he got up and grabbed the Miles Electric from off of Chuck's desk. A few taps and swipes later, he turned the device to face us.

I studied the Emeralds carefully - even though it looked like there wasn't much to study. There were seven of them, each in its own color - red, green, blue, cyan, purple, yellow, and white.

"These Chaos Emeralds look like they're from a video game," he commented. (Actually, they are. Just don't tell anyone or they'll think you're crazy!)

"We quickly learned that they can play havoc with technology, including my own, without the guiding presence of the Master Emerald, which controls them," Tails continued as he put away the Miles Electric. "And since the Master Emerald isn't here, things can get messy if we do find the Emeralds, assuming they're here. They will need time to adapt to each other."

"Now Chris," Sonic looked me squarely in the eye. "I know you're a good kid, but I want you to know that the Chaos Emeralds are not toys, jewelry, or the like, and are not meant to be treated as such, okay? They are too powerful to be misused by anyone."

"Okay, Sonic," I agreed.

Cream, who had been quietly listening until this point, spoke up. "Were the Chaos Emeralds sent to this planet too?"

Sonic sighed. "Well, Cream, I really don't know. There's only one way to find out." Turning to Tails, he added. "This is exactly why Tails has been working on a Chaos energy detector last night. Speaking of, did you finish it, Tails?"

"I did! And no, I haven't been able to detect any Chaos energy yet. Maybe I should tweak it later..."

"Another trait the Chaos Emeralds have is that if they are gathered in one place, they can scatter and vanish again," Sonic said. "It's their nature."

"Then that makes it impossible to gather all seven!" I realized.

"Actually, it isn't," Sonic countered. "We've managed to have all seven together before. It's usually a mass usage of the Chaos Emeralds that causes them to scatter, like becoming super."

I nodded in understanding.

"Oh, looks like there are only seven minutes until class! You need to get going, Chris!" Grandpa pointed out.

"Oh, right! Bye, guys!" I waved while heading for the stairs.

"Bye, Chris!" echoed Tails and Amy.

"Have fun!" Cream added.

I grinned as I carefully descended the steep steps and re-entered the garage. I hoped for their sake that they could find all seven Chaos Emeralds and head back home. But the more I thought about it, I got a sense of attachment, like I don't want them to leave. But I put that in the back of my mind as I got on my bike and pedaled to school.

* * *

 **TIME SKIP.**

My first class of the day - math. It's always been my favorite subject, though there are some parts I struggle on ( _coughlongdivisioncough_ ). As I had been preoccupied with Sonic, I was one of the last students to enter the classroom. I located an empty seat at one of the tables and sat down.

There were only two students at the table I was seated at - a dark-skinned boy wearing a green shirt, and a red-haired girl wearing overalls.

There were still a couple minutes left until class began. I considered starting small talk with them, but the boy beat me to it.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Chris," I responded.

"You're Chris Thorndyke, aren't you?" he asked.

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Some of the other classmates were telling me about you. How long have you been going here?"

"Since first grade."

"Cool. My name's Danny."

"And I'm Frances," added the girl.

"Nice to meet you," I said.

"Hey, you've been following the alien story lately?" Danny asked. I was almost caught of guard... _almost_. But I caught myself.

"Yeah. I think it's kinda cool, even if this Dr. Eggman guy scares me."

"Me too," Frances agreed.

"And then I saw this blue alien totally kick that Eggman's butt!" Danny exclaimed. "I didn't see it in person, but I saw it on the news. My mom doesn't know what to think of it."

"Do you think the government will ever catch these aliens?" Frances asked.

"I doubt it," I answered. At least they don't know they're staying with me. Time to change the subject.

"Are you new here?" I asked.

"Yeah," Frances answered. "We just moved here from Los Angeles."

"Ah, okay," I replied. "You're gonna love the math teacher. Miss Wendy Westerly was last year's teacher, and I think she's gonna be this year's teacher too."

"All right," she replied.

Unfortunately there was no more time to talk, as Principal Everett walked into the room. With him was a man Chris had never seen before. He was a tall man with dirty blonde shoulder-length hair and shades.

"Students, may I have your attention, please?" the principal called over the din of them room. It took a couple seconds for the room to become quiet.

"I know that many of you were eager to have Miss Westerly teach in this class for sixth grade. Unfortunately, she is not able to teach, because she has been given leave to attend the International Spelling Bee. Instead, your class will be taught by Mr. Greg Stewart. Say good morning, class."

"Good morning, Mr. Stewart," we said in unison.

"Good morning, class," Mr. Stewart greeted us. He threw a glance at me. I thought this was strange, especially since he didn't look at anyone else the same. And it wasn't any old glance. It was almost as if he knew something. Maybe he found out about Sonic... Nah, I'm a popular kid. _That's_ probably why he sideglanced me. Shrugging it off, I listened as he began the lesson.

* * *

 **TIME SKIP.**

About forty minutes later, it was time for my next class. We filed out of the classroom and headed down the hall toward the next class. No one engaged in conversation with me, which left me to my thoughts about what I had learned.

Danny and Frances were nice enough. Sure, I had spoken with other kids in the past, but I wondered if I could become friends with them. As of now, they didn't know Sonic was staying with me. What would happen if they found out? What if _anyone_ found out?! There would be trouble for sure. We could be charged with harboring someone who broke into Area 99. I just hoped all would go well...

As for Mr. Stewart, he was a good teacher, comparable to my second grade teacher. Mr. Stewart cracked a couple of jokes every now and then, but still, he stuck to the lesson. We were given homework to do tonight. Not so bad, even if I had just returned to school. But I couldn't get that glance out of my eye. The way he looked at me... Was it a knowing glance? Did he know about Sonic? Or was he just looking at me because I'm the son of the CEO of Starship Software? He had glanced at me again as I left the class. It was the same look. I wondered if-

"Christopher Thorndyke."

I turned around to see Mr. Stewart behind me. Was I in trouble? No, I didn't think so. But the way he glanced at me earlier, maybe he wanted to talk to me or something.

"I trust you're the son of entrepreneur Nelson Thorndyke and actress Lindsey Fair?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that's me."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, shaking my hand. "And I'm pleased to be your teacher."

"Thank you," I said. I myself am not _that_ famous like my parents, but whatever.

"I heard that the aliens involved in yesterday's attack are living within the vicinity of your neighborhood. Are you aware of this?"

I was nearly taken aback for the second time that day. How did he know? Oh wait, I'm sure the government has eyes all over them. At least he didn't say anything about them actually living at my house.

"Uh, yeah," I answered as calmly as I could. "Our maid told me two days ago."

"And you've personally seen them?" he pressed.

I fumbled for what to say for a moment. "A couple of times," I lied. "Why?"

"I'm concerned, Chris," Mr. Stewart said. "These are aliens. They may have defeated Dr. Robotnik yesterday, but they're aliens nonetheless."

"Chris! Hurry up!" I heard Danny call from the distance.

Mr. Stewart nodded. "You'd better get a move on," he said. "See you tomorrow, and it was good meeting you once again."

I left him and hurried on to my next class - science. My conversation with Mr. Stewart left me feeling weird. First the sideglances, then he asked me about the aliens, and whether I saw them or not. Does he know something I don't? More importantly, does he know Sonic and friends are staying with me? If so... this could get bad really fast.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Earlier that morning, two men were standing outside a construction zone in southwestern Station Square. They seemed to be there all night, taking shifts, but now they were standing together, watching the construction of a new shopping outlet at the corner of Crawford Avenue and West Juniper Street.

Their gaze was drawn to a greenish glow in the ground - something they had been monitoring for a while. The men made no move toward the object. Fortunately for them, no one accused them of loitering in the area. Then they saw a backhoe moving toward the glow. It was beyond the men how no one saw the glow in the ground, and how the backhoe driver didn't see it either when he ran it over.

"Here it comes," one of the men whispered to the other.

Suddenly a greenish glow ran up the sides of the backhoe and flowed through its circuits. The driver was unharmed, however. The vehicle began to pick up speed just a little. The men could see the driver attempting to slam on the brakes, but to no avail. It just kept travelling straight.

The backhoe wouldn't stop for nothing, all on account of that glow in the ground. It drove toward three workers who were discussing a blueprint. They were able to scramble out of the way just in time.

The second man turned to the first. "You know, even if we're not here to get the Emerald, watching this was worth the trip," he said.

The first man decided to walk in the direction the backhoe went. As the second man followed, they saw the backhoe drive through a chain-link fence. It drove on for another couple hundred feet before finally stopping well outside the construction zone. Onlookers were shocked and confused. Some even took their phones out and started recording. The two men had to run to keep up.

Several other men, including one the two men believed was the foreman, approached the driver. "Are you okay?" the foreman frantically asked the driver. The two men had to strain to hear him.

The driver, who was clearly shaken, said something, but the men couldn't hear over the noise of the stalled truck and the growing crowd.

"I don't know; you were operating just fine and suddenly the whole thing started sparking."

The driver was climbing out of the vehicle. "I couldn't control it..." he admitted.

"Hey!" shouted one of the workers as he an toward the backhoe. "I think I might have found the problem!"

"Coming!" the foreman shouted back as he and the other workers, including the driver, followed him. The two men decided to head back the way they came.

"We shouldn't have left the Emerald," the second man said.

"Nah, don't worry about it," the first replied. "They wouldn't think about touching something as powerful as that."

They could see that the construction workers were now bending over the green glow in the ground.

"What is it?" one worker asked.

"How can a _gem_ do all that?" another incredulous worker added.

"And why didn't we know about it before?" a third asked as he leaned down to pick it up.

"Don't touch it," the foreman stopped him. "If it can do that to machinery, it could do worse to people. I'm calling 911."

As he took out his phone and dialed the number, the men turned to each other.

"What do we do?" the first man asked the second. "They're going to keep the Chaos Emerald away from us!"

"Relax," the second said. "We'll contact Dr. Eggman about this. Follow me."

The first man nodded and followed the second across the street. They walked about a block away from the construction site and the Chaos Emerald. Once they were safely hidden behind a building, where they were sure no one would see them, they removed their perception filters. What were once two casual men were now a pair of Egg Pawns.

One of the Egg Pawns activated its built-in radio. "Dr. Eggman, a party of humans have discovered the Chaos Emerald," it reported.

 _"Keep monitoring the Emerald,"_ Eggman instructed. _"Knowing these humans, they will be too scared to even try to come near it. I'm coming to claim it right now. Inform me with further updates as they come."_

"Affirmative."

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Knuckles had found a secluded alley to hide in so that the Overlanders on this world wouldn't detect him. He was even able to spend the night there without anyone seeing him. It wasn't Angel Island, but it had to do, at least until he got back to Mobius.

He thought back to yesterday. It was by far the most productive day he's had on this planet. He had confirmed that Sonic, Amy, Tails, Cream, and Cheese had all made it safely here. Some had it rougher than others before the reunion. But in the end, everyone was safe, they had a few Overlander friends they could rely on, and he even had a new favorite food besides grapes.

About this world... Knuckles was shocked to know that this world had not only a Station Square, but also a Guardian Units of Nations organization as well. This could not be coincidence. He wondered what Rouge and Shadow would think if they found out. He shrugged, figuring they would feel right at home with the team.

Confirming his musings in the sewer, Eggman had indeed showed up with a robot. He began to seriously believe that his base was transported here as well. How else could he have a robot? At least while he was here, his resources were greatly diminished. No Egg Fleet, no Phantom Ruby, no Death Egg. Just the classic Robotnik and Badniks to deal with. And E-Series robots.

They clashed in Station Square yesterday. Sure, Knuckles could have easily destroyed Missile Wrist without Sonic's help, but there was no point in harming innocent people in the streets below. He had decided to let Sonic take care of the robot as soon as he showed up, but this did not stop him and Amy from taking out the robot's powerful hands. When Missile Wrist was destroyed by its own missiles, Knuckles was relieved that the majority of the robot remained on top of the building. Only small chunks would fall into the street.

It was their first victory in this world, but this was surely not their last encounter.

Today, Knuckles would not be idle like he was when he got here. He was determined to get some forward progress done. Last night, he was a bit too fatigued to immediately search for the Chaos Emeralds, but he endeavored to search when he got adequate rest.

Now, he was secretly moving through the alleys and underpopulated parts of the city, searching for any possible sign of a Chaos Emerald. He froze, sensing what could be a Chaos Emerald. He felt the same sensation yesterday, but had dismissed it on account of fatigue. But this time, it was stronger than before, and he knew it wasn't just him. His senses didn't lie. There was no way he should dismiss his senses this time. The Emerald _had_ to be somewhere in the city. Knuckles would not give up until he found it.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

At last, it was time to head to the cafeteria. It was a well-deserved break from hours on end of studying and learning about stuff such as mathematical review and science. I guess you can say the cafeteria is my favorite subject.

I was among the first ones to enter the cafeteria. Today, I saw that ham sandwiches were on the menu, but Ella had made me lunch, so I had that. In fact, her ham sandwiches were among the best in the world. And I'm not bragging.

I sat an an unoccupied table and opened my backpack which concealed my lunchbox. There it was - the rich deli delicacy containing the most savory meat known to man. As I opened the lunchbox and took my first bite of the heavenly sandwich, I caught sight of Danny and Frances. They were talking with a girl in a wheelchair. Just then Frances spotted me, and she and Danny wrapped up their conversation. Frances went to the cafeteria counter while Danny came over to sit with me. I had gotten to know them a little better in my last class. I wondered why they were choosing to sit with me of all people. I may be famous, but I'm a social nobody.

"I saw Mr. Stewart talking to you after class. What about?" he asked. I knew it was once again time to choose my words carefully. I couldn't let the cat out of the bag just yet. They couldn't know they were staying with me.

"Oh, he was just checking up on me, making sure I was fine," I answered. It was a half-truth that would hopefully would nut arouse Danny's suspicions. But I was wrong.

"What for? He didn't ask anyone else."

Now I was cornered.

"Well... You know about the aliens that came here a couple days ago?"

"Yeah?" He sounded a little excited, which nearly unnerved me.

"He was just concerned about my safety. He thought they might have been seen near my house." No way would I tell him that I already knew this.

"Oh, okay." Whew, just narrowly dodged a bullet.

He was quiet after that after he dug into his sandwich. I was already halfway done mine. Frances promptly joined us at the table with a plate of what looked like tuna casserole.

"So I got a Nintendo Switch for my last birthday," Danny began.

"Oh, cool," I complimented, glad that the topic was changed. "What kind of games did you get?"

"Splatoon 2. Best game ever. I'm glad they made a sequel."

I smiled. I had a Switch of my own, even though I had never played Splatoon before. I considered giving it a try.

"Hey, do you play Mario Kart?" he asked.

"Yeah, I do," I answered. What is he getting at? Could this mean...?

"'Cause I was thinking maybe we could trade friend codes so we could play multiplayer some time."

"He has a lot of friends on his Switch," Frances clarified. Okay, so it wasn't anything unusual.

"Sure," I agreed. "How about tomorrow?"

"Cool."

While Frances began talking about Animal Crossing: New Leaf or whatever it was she played, my attention was drawn to the TV screen in the corner near the ceiling. Usually it was off during lunch hours. But not today. Today it was showing the news. I was sitting close enough to the television so that I could just make out some of the words on the scrolling ticker. It was showing stuff like that crazy professor at the University of California Station Square voluntarily resigning due to being shamed by his colleagues over the fact that Sonic was a machine. Another headline spoke of yesterday's battle, and that the damage cost could be as high as four million dollars.

But that's not what got my attention.

It was what Scarlet Garcia was talking about. It looked to be important. _Very_ important. As in "related-to-the-aliens-that-crashed-at-my-place" kind of important. The news headline read "Gemstone Causes Power Surge Near Wal-Mart Construction Site". I knew exactly what happened. Even though an eyewitness photo was shown on the screen (this was before the police showed up), I didn't need to see it to know what kind of gemstone she was talking about.

Now if I remember correctly, Tails _did_ mention something about Chaos Emeralds affecting technology without something called the Master Emerald. This made me wonder how many smart phones were on the fritz right now. I began to wonder if Sonic and friends were seeing this too. I certainly hoped so. It would be a crying shame if Eggman got the Emerald first. Then I got an idea. Hey, what if _I_ were to head out there and find the Emerald? I knew where the construction site was. It was over at Crawford Avenue and West Juniper Street. It was a bit of a distance away, but I could make it there on my bike.

"Earth to Chris," I head Frances call. That's all it took to break me away from the TV.

"What are you looking at?" Danny asked before looking at the TV himself. Frances did the same.

"Hey, think that could be related to the aliens from yesterday?" wondered Frances.

"I'm thinking yeah," Danny replied. "It's gotta be. But what is it?"

"Only one way to find out," I replied.

But before either Danny or Frances could respond, the bell rang, signalling it was time to head to the next class. The end of the school day couldn't come fast enough. I needed to finish school so I could join the hunt for the Chaos Emerald.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

"We interrupt your regularly-scheduled broadcast to bring you breaking news. A strange stone of unknown power has been unearthed at a Wal-Mart construction site in midtown Station Square. This stone, which eyewitnesses describe as a gemstone resembling an emerald, has reportedly interfered with technology. Already it has caused a power surge, automatically shutting off several smart phones within the area. It has also caused cars to become unresponsive, causing traffic to be backed up as far as a quarter mile. However, the most serious incident was when the emerald caused a backhoe at the construction site to move completely on its own, leaving the construction site and damaging the perimeter fence and some of the equipment. The backhoe did not enter the roadway, and there are no reports of injuries. Police are on the scene as we speak, and the bomb squad has been called out. We have received word from our CNN affiliate that news crews are not permitted on the scene, as there are fears that the emerald could cause permanent damage to equipment. In fact, police are warning all Station Square residents to stay clear of the Wal-Mart construction site until the bomb squad can safely remove the emerald. ... This just in, we have our first eyewitness photo of the emerald. This Twitter photo was taken by robert09, and you can clearly make out the half-buried shape of the gemstone. It appears to resemble one of those imitation gemstones you might find at a gift shop. robert09 was able to take this photo because the emerald appeared to be on cooldown, supposedly having exhausted its power for the time being. It still remains unclear as to its origin, but people are already suspecting that it is an element from the aliens' home planet. I'm Scarlet Garcia for Channel 4 News; now back to General Hospital already in progress."

Dr. Eggman turned off the jumbo screen. Now the humans knew about the Chaos Emerald.

The mad genius marveled at the fact that it had taken the public nearly nineteen hours to discover the Emerald after Eggman did. Well, that was because they didn't have anything _remotely_ close to a Chaos energy scanner. However, he did not expect the single Chaos Emerald to cause this much... _chaos_. His clever brain immediately found the solution. The reason the Chaos Emerald was so erratic was because Angel Island was not present in this dimension. It was not Chaos Controlled to this world; therefore, the Master Emerald was not present to keep the Emeralds' power in check. Without the Master Emerald, the seven Chaos Emeralds would surely live up to their name. Imagine what they could do to Super Sonic...

Bocoe turned to Eggman. "Doctor, permission to request the Egg Pawns to retrieve the Chaos Emerald?"

Eggman thought for a moment. "No," he decided. "They are only my scout robots. They'd blow their cover if they tried to go anywhere near the Emerald. Besides, the police are there."

"But you could've asked them to get the Emerald at night," thought Bokkun in hindsight.

"They _work_ at night, Bokkun. Otherwise, I would have gotten it already."

"Then what are your options? You cannot return to Station Square because the Overlanders will be prepared for you."

"Oh, but I am," contradicted Eggman as he stood up. "Who cares about the Overlanders? It's Sonic who's the real threat. Decoe, Bocoe, prepare my Eggmobile. ... Actually, just you, Decoe. Bocoe, get my cards - the ones that aren't in the case."

"Affirmative," the two robots replied in unison.

Bocoe promptly walked over to the drawer that contained Eggman's Robot Selection Cards and picked up the deck with the rubber band around it. As Decoe entered the metro elevator (only he, Bocoe, Bokkun, and Eggman had the clearance to use that elevator), Bocoe handed the deck to Eggman, who quickly removed the rubber band and inserted the deck into the slot in the console.

"Are you conflicted as to which robot to dispatch?" asked Bocoe.

Eggman pulled the lever and folded his hands together. "Of course; why else would I need the cards? Any robot could distract Sonic as easily as another."

The three slots spun, making their contents appear like a blur. Eggman had rigged them to always show the same robot on all three slots.

"I hope it's an air robot!" exclaimed Bokkun as he hovered just behind Eggman.

The slots slowed to a stop, and they landed on...

"E-11 Beacon! Awesome choice!" shouted Bokkun as he fist-pumped.

"I daresay it is," Eggman said as he stood up. "It is one of my most skilled aerial robots. It's fast, and it can occupy both the Tornado and Sonic while I go get the Emerald."

The mad doctor made sure to press Confirm before heading to the metro elevator. He pressed the button and waited the fifteen seconds it took for the elevator to rise. Once it rose, he stepped inside. Another fifteen seconds later, he was below ground with the Eggmobile and Decoe waiting just outside the elevator.

"The Eggmobile has been initialized as you have requested, Doctor. However, it is taking longer than expected to prepare the robot you have selected."

Eggman did not expect this sudden setback. "Why is that?"

"It appears the slot machine is rigged only for single robots, and not for mass-produced robots such as the E-11 unit you have summoned."

"How long is the delay?"

"Approximately ten minutes, Doctor."

Eggman sighed. "Well, might as well come upstairs with me. I'll get something to eat while I wait."

Decoe followed Eggman into the metro elevator, and it only took another fifteen seconds to get back to the control room. Bocoe looked surprised to see him back.

"I did not expect your return to be so quick," he said.

"My robot's delayed," Eggman admitted as he headed toward the kitchen.

"Doctor, I should inform you that our most recent surveillance patrol unit has detected several personnel affiliated with the Guardian Units of Nations."

"What?!" exclaimed an incredulous Eggman. "What are they doing _here_?! They're supposed to be back on Mobius!" Then he had another thought. "Unless this is related to the enigma of how Station Square is also here. Bocoe, what _is_ GUN doing here?"

"It appears they are monitoring our activity."

Eggman stroked his luxurious mustache. "Surveillance. Okay. Carry on with the original mission. Tighten the security around here and keep tabs on them, but don't do anything about GUN just yet."

"Affirmative."

As Bocoe spoke over the intercom in his first step in increasing security, Eggman left the command center and headed down the main elevator to the second floor of his impressive eight-floor fortress. This was where the kitchen was. He wasn't overly surprised to see Bokkun already there. The messenger robot was eating a Jimmy Dean sandwich.

"I thought you were going to get the Emerald, Dr. Eggman," Bokkun said. "Changed your mind."

"Yeah. My robot's delayed," Eggman sighed as he reached into the freezer for a sandwich of his own. "Remind me to modify the slot machine so I can avoid these delays next time."

"Okay," Bokkun replied in his always-cheerful voice. "You need to-"

"Not literally right now, Bokkun," Eggman corrected. He popped the Jimmy Dean into the microwave and set it to the correct setting. As he watched it spin, he thought to homself that he was glad he sent several disguised robots to buy him groceries. While Earth's food wasn't bad, Mobian food was far better. It probably had to do with all the preservatives Eath's Overlanders crammed into their food products to call it "food". But Jimmy Dean was great nonetheless.

At last the sandwich was done, and Eggman took it out of the microwave. "Robot's gonna be ready in about two minutes," he announced as he took a bite of the sandwich and ran from the kitchen. Only a couple minutes later, he was back in front of the Eggmobile. That was also the amount of time it took for him to finish his sandwich. He tossed the wrapper into a nearby garbage can. Even though he was a supervillain, he would never stoop to something as low as littering. Only idiots do that.

Eggman realized he had made it just in time. The massive doors to the bowels of the robot factory were just beginning to open. Eggman was rarely inside the robot factory, but he knew everything ran smoothly within, so he never had to go in there.

The E-11 Beacon he ordered rolled out onto the runway as the secret entrance at the end thereof opened up. With the Beacon now in position, Eggman climbed into the Eggmobile. Good thing Decoe already entered the PIN for him - the Eggmobile's identity was made only for himself and his top robots. Speaking of top robots, Eggman considered reactivating Orbot and Cubot soon - they had gotten too much for him earlier, but maybe they changed.

Pointing forward, Eggman took off up the sloped runway, with the Beacon following.

"Chaos Emerald, here I come," whispered Eggman as he and his latest robot emerged into the open air.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Sonic was relaxing in one of the boughs of an oak tree outside the living room window. It had become one of his favorite places to rest since he arrived. The other was the roof. Both places felt nice and open - the perfect place for one as free as the wind to chill. Sonic wondered how Chris was doing in school. He wondered if he would make it home. Sure, he liked this world, but nothing beats home sweet home.

Just then he heard the door open. He was just about to scramble out of sight when he saw that it was only Cream. He had caught word from Chuck that she was allowed to be inside today, as Ella and Tanaka had left to shop and practice karate respectively.

"Mr. Sonic, they found one!" Cream announced.

"Found what, Cream?" Sonic asked as he relaxed a little in the tree.

"A Chaos Emerald! They found a Chaos Emerald, Mr. Sonic!" she danced excitedly.

"You saw this on the news, right?" queried Sonic.

"That's right, Mr. Sonic."

"Did they say where it is?"

Cream looked down, ashamed. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention until they showed a picture of it."

"That's okay, Cream," Sonic said as he hopped down from the tree. "I'm the fastest thing alive. You know I'll find it before long." He flashed her a wink.

"But you don't even know where it is," Cream pointed out.

"I'll run into it eventually," Sonic promised. "Plus, Knux offered to help out. Now you tell the others about the Emerald, okay? I gotta juice!"

With that, the hedgehog took off. Cream immediately took off running as well, Cheese right behind her. As she flew to gain more speed, she was upset with herself for not finding out where the Emerald was. This was a crucial detail, and Eggman might get it first because of her. But since Sonic was after it right now, things wouldn't be so bad.

Cream landed and quickly found Tails and Chuck working on the Tornado in the garage.

"Mr. Tails, Mr. Chuck!" she gasped, out of breath. "They found a-"

"We know; we just saw it on the news," Chuck said, motioning to the TV. "But thanks for telling us. We're getting Tails ready to leave right now."

Amy appeared in the stairway. "What's going on?" she asked.

"The Overlanders found a Chaos Emerald," summarized Tails. "It doesn't look like it's too far from here."

"Really?!" exclaimed Amy.

"Yeah," Tails answered.

Determination flashed in Amy's jade eyes. "I'm coming with you," she stated.

Tails nodded. "Good; I'll need all the help I can get."

Cream looked up at Chuck. "Are you coming too, Mr. Chuck?"

Chuck laughed a little. "Oh no, not me. I'm far too old for this kind of thing. Besides, the Tornado only seats two." Chuck didn't mention the part where he also wouldn't fit in the Tornado, which was clearly not made for Mobians even though Chris could fit in the passenger's seat.

"Oh, okay," Cream nodded. "Mr. Sonic has already left to find the Emerald, but he doesn't know where it is."

"What do you mean?" asked Amy.

"Because I didn't pay attention to where it was!"

"Well, don't worry," reassured Amy as she climbed into the passenger's seat of the Tornado. "Tails heard the news report for you. Oh, and Tails? How are we on the ring supply?"

"We should be fine," reported Tails. "I was able to create a machine to duplicate our previously limited supply of Power Rings. We were only down to like three."

"Which reminds me," Chuck spoke, "these 'Power Rings' appear fascinating. Do you mind if I study them while you're gone?"

"Go ahead," Tails said. "But just be careful with them, even if they're encoded for Sonic's use only."

Chuck scratched his graying head. "Encoded?"

"I'll explain when we get back; they have a complicated past."

"All right, thanks. And take care."

"We'll be fine, don't worry!" Tails called behind him as he taxied forward. Cream called goodbye as the Tornado entered the driveway.

After making sure everything was in flying order, he eased forward on the throttle, accelerating down the driveway he pulled back on another throttle, pulling the plane into the sky.

Amy broke the thoughtful silence. "I just hope Sonic is able to find the Emerald."

"He has to," Tails spoke from the pilot's seat, of course having to almost shout because of the noise the motor made. "There's nowhere to land in the city. Besides, we would be spotted."

"What makes you think we won't be spotted just by being out here?" Amy asked.

"We'll just have to grin and bear it," replied Tails. "After yesterday, let's just say that things are going to be a lot more extraordinary around here."

Amy nodded. "That's for sure," she said, before suddenly coming up with an idea. "What if we guide Sonic to the Emerald once we find it?"

"That's a great idea, Amy. Let's do it!"

Tails banked left toward the city, en route to the first Chaos Emerald. Only time would tell whose hands it would eventually wind up in.

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

Trying to find a Chaos unassisted and unaided is like trying to find a particular needle in a haystack full of needles. I'm not sensitive to the presence of a Chaos Emerald like Knuckles is, but I manage to find them nonetheless.

Even while travelling at a leisurely 350 miles per hour, I could still feel myself drawing stares from the passer-bys. So they saw me in battle yesterday. Big deal. I didn't care who saw me at this point. All that mattered is that I find the Emerald and get it away from Eggman. And, for all I cared, Eggman certainly knew about the Emerald.

Then I got an idea. What if I were to scale a high-rise and see if I could spot any sign of the Chaos Emerald?

Going through with my plan, I ran up the side of the nearest building, and in seconds was rewarded with a bird's-eye view of Station Square. The city was big and beautiful, but there was absolutely no familiar glow or anything down there.

Then I thought, hey, maybe I should just chill up here and wait for Tails to fly in. By any luck, he might have seen the news and known about the location of the Chaos Emerald. On the other hand, Eggman probably also knew about the Emerald. Scratch that, he _definitely_ knew about the Emerald. What if - I chuckled to myself - he was able to unwittingly _guide_ me to the Emerald? Yeah, I decided to do that once he arrived, assuming he came before Tails. All I had to do was wait...

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Eggman and his Beacon weren't even five minutes into their flight to Station Square when they spotted something below them that could pose an immediate threat to Eggman's plans.

A U.S. Navy battleship.

In his haste to prepare for his mission to obtain the Chaos Emerald, Eggman had not taken into account the fact that GUN would be backed by the Navy or, even worse, the Air Force. This ship appeared to be headed away from the island, assumably having dropped off the GUN surveillance team.

But then again, it was just one ship. What threat could it pose to Eggman's mission.

Just then the ship fired two missiles directly at the Beacon. Spoke too soon.

"A minor setback," mused the doctor as he turned to his robot. "Beacon, you know what to do."

The Beacon broke away from Eggman's side, allowing the missile to lock on to it. It increased its speed slightly before descending toward the ocean. Once it was low enough, the Beacon flew parallel to the water, allowing one of the missiles to crash into the ocean. That still left one more, though. Nothing the Beacon couldn't handle, as it flew into the air. It then looped down toward the ocean, the missile following. A moment later, the Beacon emerged with no missile tailing it. The Beacon had not suffered any water damage in the process, a sure sign that Eggman's tech was supreme.

"Even the United States Navy can't destroy a single robot of mine?" Eggman asked as the Beacon returned to his side. "Surprising," he sarcastically added. The two proceeded to the city of Station Square which drew ever nearer. He knew exactly where the Chaos Emerald was, and he intended to collect it without a hitch.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

The school bell rang, signalling the end of the longest school day I've ever had, or so it felt. Dismissal from class couldn't come soon enough. I practically ran to my locker to grab my backpack before heading for the front doors.

"Hey, man, what's your hurry?" called a student.

"Sorry, I'm, uh, expecting a friend over in a few," I lied. Of course I couldn't tell everyone that I knew what I saw on TV in the cafeteria. Then the cat would be out of the bag, Sonic and the others would be arrested for being a menace to society for bringing their battle to our planet, and my family would be in deep trouble for harboring criminals if Sonic was convicted.

After a hasty goodbye to Danny (I promised to bring my Switch friend code next time we met), I ran out of the school. It didn't take me long to find my bike where I had parked it. I quickly mounted it and pedaled off the school grounds en route to the Chaos Emerald.

"West Juniper Street. West Juniper Street," I repeated in my head as I pedaled. Juniper Street was near midtown, which was not too far away from Harris Bingham Memorial Park. Part of me did not expect the Emerald to remain where the news crews said it was. Either Eggman or Sonic could have already claimed it long before I left school. But a lot of me said it was still there, waiting for me to claim it for Sonic. That was the part I listened to.

I held back a smile. Surely no one would think that I, an ordinary kid, would try to obtain the Chaos Emerald out of a construction site which probably has a giant fence around it. I mean, that's foolhardy, right?

Just then I heard the noise of a small plane. I know there isn't an airfield right here, so what could it be? I looked up and saw the Tornado fly above me in the same direction I was headed in. Its motor seemed quieter than other similar planes I've heard. Maybe Mobians have a way with tech that we don't? I don't think Tails saw me, as he kept flying straight. Good to know that not only did Tails also see the news report, but I was heading in the right direction.

I followed the Tornado down the street, when I got the feeling I was being followed myself. Throwing a quick glance over my shoulder, I caught sight of a green SUV nearby. I thought I saw that car earlier in my trip. But I dismissed it as I saw Crawford Avenue in front of me. I made a left at the light and continued my journey.

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

I had only been waiting for about three minutes atop the skyscraper when I became aware of the sound of an engine. I knew right away that it couldn't be the Tornado. I was sure Tails couldn't take off _that_ fast, so I ruled it out. Besides, it sounded like a jet engine.

I got my answer as soon I turned around. It was one of Eggman's E-Series robots. Great... According to the data we pored over from that infiltration mission we did, this was an E-11 Beacon, which was basically just an oversized Balkiry. And sure enough, a certain round bald guy was flying the Eggmobile next to it. I can bet a couple chili dogs they're not here to chat.

 _Come on, Tails,_ I thought. _Now would be a mondo great time to show up._

My next thoughts turned to Chris. I just hoped for his sake he didn't see the news report. Sure, I know he's in school, but I don't know if his school has TVs in the cafeteria like the ones in New Mobotropolis do. If he were wise, he would head home and hope for the best.

The first thing I noticed about Eggman and his bird-shaped Beacon was the fact that they didn't see me at all. Uh, _hello_? Big blue hedgehog standing on top of a tall building, and no one sees it? ...Figures.

I decided not to act right away either. Instead, I put my plan into action and watched where Eggman was headed. Actually, it's probably hard to see them if the disappear behind some of the other buildings, so I decided to hitchhike on the Beacon while giving myself a bird's-eye view of their destination. (Yes, pun intended. Thank you, thank you.)

So I took a flying leap off the building and landed squarely on the back of the Beacon, spreading my arms for balance. I gotta say, it's definitely worth the risk to see the city below you so long as you don't get vertigo. One of the biggest tourist attractions appeared to be a construction site. The area near it and the couple blocks around it were packed with people. They started to clear out as soon as they saw Eggman. They were either taking pictures or screaming and running for their lives, the majority choosing B.

 _This must be where the Chaos Emerald is,_ I thought. Then I noticed that there were absolutely no news crews anywhere near the site - only cops and more cops. I can see why. Without the Master Emerald in this plane of reality, Chaos Emeralds tend to be more chaotic. It would have done a lot of damage to the equipment.

Now that I knew where the Emerald was, I decided to ditch my ride. "Thanks for the lift, Eggy!" I called before attempting to grind through the Beacon. And I would have gotten away with it too if it weren't for that meddling Eggman and the AI he installs into every single robot of his. In English: the Beacon pulled up and flew with its nose pointed directly upward, causing me to almost lose my balance. Then I saw its beak open, and a pink energy wave threw me off of the Beacon. Good thing I was planning to get off anyway.

"You're getting smarter, Eggman," I muttered. "I'll give you that."

I landed on the rook of a smaller building, and decided to go after the Beacon so that it wouldn't be a nuisance when I tried to find the Emerald. I vaulted myself back toward the Beacon, but it reactivated its energy shield, bouncing me off and throwing me to the ground. I grunted as I stood back up. There _had_ to be a way to get past that shield...

I heard another motor in the sky, this time a much friendlier-sounding one. Looking up, I saw the familiar blue fuselage of the Tornado 2, complete with my name printed on the side. Backup _finally_ arrived. Squinting, I could barely make out Amy in the back seat, holding out a Power Ring for me. I smirked. That could be my one ticket to breaking the energy shield.

I got a running start and leaped toward the Tornado. But out of the corner of my eye, I saw Eggman pointing directly at the Tornado. _That better not be an interception order,_ I thought.

Oh, but it _was_ an interception. The Beacon flew over and nudged the belly of the Tornado as it passed. That was all it took to jostle the plane and cause Amy to lose her grip on the ring. That wasn't all, I'm afraid. As I ran toward the ring, the Beacon flew over and bumped it away from me. I lost sight of it somewhere, and I knew I couldn't waste precious time looking for it. Maybe I could come back after this battle and look for it - that is, if someone hasn't sold it on eBay already.

Its next target was me. As it swooped down toward me, I attempted to home attack it with all my might, but only resulted in giving myself a headache as I was thrown backward again. This was not my day...

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

At last, I saw Juniper Street in front of me. And oh boy, I might have bitten off a lot more than I can chew...

There were police officers and cars _everywhere_. Traffic appeared to be mostly clear in the area, but there was debris from... something. Not to mention I saw Sonic in the distance fighting Dr. Eggman and what looked like a new robot of his.

Fortunately, the battle appeared to offer a distraction for everyone. I knew the Chaos Emerald was still in the construction site somewhere. _But how do I get in there?_ I mused.

I spotted a part of the fence that appeared to be destroyed, as if a heavy vehicle had driven through it. And I spotted the culprit, a backhoe, further down Juniper Street. It was being flagged off by police tape. Evidently the Chaos Emerald's power had overridden its controls.

That hole in the fence was my way in. Here's hoping I wasn't caught.

I ditched my bike at the street corner and crossed Juniper Street. There was no need to press the crossing button, as there wasn't really any traffic nearby. Taking another quick look up, I saw Sonic and Eggman's robot still fighting, but Eggman himself was nowhere in sight. I carefully climbed over the broken fence (why wasn't anyone stopping me?) and entered the construction site.

It was pretty much what I expected a construction site to look like - dirt, trucks, cement, and steel girders everywhere. The place was huge! Maybe a little too huge when I'm on an urgent mission to find a magic gemstone from another world.

Wait a minute...

I quickly spotted a green glow in a mound of dirt on the other side of the construction site. The Chaos Emerald!

I ran for all I was worth toward the unearthly glow. And indeed, it was unearthly. No one would believe me if I told them that for someone who has had no experience in mining or anything similar, I, an ordinary kid, had found a precious gemstone buried in plain sight. Not only that, but I also beat Sonic and Eggman to it!

I finally reached the Chaos Emerald and quickly dug it up before examining it. It may have looked like a gem you'd find at a gift shop, and felt like one too, but its beautiful, bright glow was mesmerizing. It was even warm to the touch, as if its power had recently been used. Furthermore, I could actually feel the Emerald's power coursing through me. I felt as if I was more alert, and possibly stronger. I cautioned myself not to get too carried away, as Amy had mentioned something about humans not being able to use the Emeralds like Sonic could. I'm not Sonic, but I'm strong in my own way.

I had been so engrossed by the Emerald's beauty and power that I almost forgot I had legs. Legs to run off the construction site before I was fined for trespassing. Legs to take the Chaos Emerald home and show the others. Legs to avoid Eggman before he pushed me to the ground.

I was sent roughly sprawling to the dirt. How did I not hear the engine of whatever Eggman's flying, or his footsteps. As soon as I turned around, I saw the Emerald in the grinning scientist's hand.

I stood up and faced him. Now that I was seeing him up close for the first time, he looked like both a cartoon character and a real menace at the same time. His red suit, his goggles, his glasses, his oversized mustache - he looked every inch the adversary of Sonic the Hedgehog.

"Give it back," I demanded.

But Eggman gave an amused chuckle. "You should know that I called dibs on this Chaos Emerald last night. It is in no way yours."

"But-"

"Wait a minute," he realized, as if he recognized me. "I think I remember seeing you in that plane yesterday. Well, did those furries living with you ever tell you that Overlanders have absolutely no use for Chaos Emeralds? None! Zero! Besides, you're a kid. You would hardly know what to do with such a powerful artifact as a Chaos Emerald!"

I felt more than a little frightened in his presence. I mean, this is the big bad of Sonic's world. If he's as bad as Sonic says he is, then...

"No," I responded as evenly as I could, "but Sonic does."

"Really now," Eggman said. "So can I. You should see what I've used the Emeralds for in the past."

"I don't care!" I almost shouted. "How did you know the Chaos Emerald was here? How did you know that Sonic is living with me?"

Eggman folded his arms. "I have my ways," he simply stated. "Besides, I don't even need to know where your house is to know that they're stating with you. I knew this when I saw you yesterday. Now beat it."

No way would I beat it, not when the fate of the Emerald rests on my shoulders. Suddenly I felt brave. I ran after Eggman, who was surprisingly fast in spite of his weight. He leaped into his hovercraft and started to rise into the air. I grabbed hold of a handle on the right wing (probably used for easy maintenance) and was lifted up with Eggman. I would not let go. Not for anything in the world.

"Leave the kid alone!" I heard a gruff voice shout beneath us. Daring to glance down, I saw Knuckles, a mixture of fear, horror, and anger on his features. We were a good fifteen feet above the ground. Eggman responded by swiveling the hovercraft to the left. I tightened my grip on the handle, wondering if I was foolish to do what I did.

"I'll catch you!" Knuckles shouted, right before he was hit by a laser fired by the hovercraft. Well, there goes my rescue...

With Knuckles down, the hovercraft continued to rise into the air. I couldn't let go. I wouldn't. The city was getting further and further away. Suddenly it hit me how foolish I had been. I didn't know I was going to risk my like for a powerful artifact like the Chaos Emerald. I clung to the handle so hard that not only did my knuckles whiten, but I think I would get callouses later.

Death was a very real possibility.

And I was too scared to scream.

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

That Beacon might have been fast, but it still has nothing on me. I gained on it as it flew away from me. Then it flew straight up and flipped over so now I was on the receiving end of the chase. Instead of running like it probably wanted me to, I home-attacked the Beacon again. Another home attack, another failed attempt. What are these force fields made of, anyway?

Just then I saw a missile flying down from above. I was confused at first, until I realized it was the Tornado launching a Power Ring down to me. I would get a chance at redemption, a second shot at taking down the Beacon.

Once it was within range, the ring popped out of the tip of the rock and landed in my open hand, empowering me with its energy. We had performed drills with fake rings in years past, so Tails and I had perfected this technique. The now-hollow rocket exploded on impact with Beacon, doing no damage on account of the energy shield.

The Beacon began to fly upward again, as if to taunt me. Challenge accepted.

I was just about to chase it when I heard someone calling my name. Turning, I saw Knuckles approaching me, out of breath. He must have gotten a great workout session today.

"The kid...!" he started to say.

"Slow down," I encouraged, secretly hoping he wouldn't, as Power Ring energy can only last so long.

"The kid..." he panted, pointing above us. "He's up there with Eggman... I couldn't stop him..."

"Chris..." I muttered, before immediately running up the skyscraper. I could kill two robo-birds with one spin-dash: kill this robo-bird with a spin dash, and see where Eggman and Chris are.

So I landed a perfect ring-powered impact in the Beacon, leaving a Sonic-shaped hole in its inner workings right before it exploded. Landing on the skyscraper, I caught sight of the Eggmobile. I made out Chris clinging to the wing for dear life, probably trying to get the Chaos Emerald and getting carried away... literally. Actually, it's not time for jokes. I ran back down the skyscraper, bracing myself for a life-or-death rescue.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

I had never been more scared in my life.

There I was, hanging onto the Eggmobile for my life about two thousand feet above the ground. I couldn't bring myself to look down. I wouldn't. Doing so would only heighten my fear.

But I knew I couldn't back down on my mission. It was too late for that.

I worked up the courage to lift my right leg onto the wing of Eggman's hovercraft. Once I was sure I had a secure footing, I let go of the handle and raised my other leg on to the wing. Now I was fully on the wing.

It was a wonder Eggman couldn't see me yet. He was busy activating his radio.

"Eggman to Beacon," he spoke. "We have what we came for. Return to base."

No response.

"Eggman to Beacon, please respond."

Still nothing.

"Blast that meddling hedgehog," he growled. Maybe this meant Sonic destroyed the robot!

Then I saw it - the Chaos Emerald was resting in Eggman's lap. It was within my reach. I would have to be very stealthy about obtaining it, though.

Carefully, I inched my way toward Eggman, then suddenly lunged for the Emerald. I briefly touched it, but it managed to escape from me and rolled to the other side of Eggman's lap. Of course, he saw what I was doing.

"You didn't think this through, did you," he chastised. "Here's how I deal with hitchhikers!"

He immediately tilted the craft to the right. I nearly lost my balance, but the sudden adrenalin rush I had received gave me a second wind, and I made a second attempt at the Emerald. This time, I firmly felt it in my grasp. As I continued to lose my balance, I made a wild grab for anything to stay aloft.

"Eeeyaaaaahhh! Let go of my mustache!" he screamed. It would be funny under different circumstances. He immediately righted the vehicle in an attempt to get me to let go, which I did not.

"Give me that Emerald," he said darkly.

I summoned all the courage I could muster to shout a hearty "NO!"

The struggle continued. Me trying to grab onto other parts of Eggman's hovercraft, Eggman trying to make me let go of his mustache and the Chaos Emerald. In our scuffle, he accidentally pressed two buttons, causing the entire vehicle to tilt to the side, leaving me hanging over the air!

Never before had my heart pounded harder. And it beat even harder when I felt my grip slipping.

"Doctor Robotnik... help me!" I begged.

And I fell.

Now I was free-falling toward the city below. Only two thousand feet separated me from the cold hard ground below. I began to wonder if I shouldn't have let go. My grip on the Chaos Emerald tightened. I knew I would die, but I would make sure the Chaos Emerald goes down with me. Eggman would never get a hold of it.

I honestly had no idea whether or not Eggman would help me. I mean, he's Sonic's enemy, and since I'm Sonic's friend, common logic states that I'm his enemy. But maybe there could be a little compassion in him...

My heart pounded line a drum in my ears. The wind was hitting my face so hard I was almost forced to close my eyes. I knew that death was within seconds. Sonic was still fighting that robot, and Tails was too far away to do anything. All hope was lost.

All that was processed in about nine seconds. The last thing I remembered before I passed out from total fear was the sensation of two gloved hands breaking my fall and carrying me to safety.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Knuckles had seen everything.

It hadn't even taken Sonic three second to destroy the Beacon once he told Sonic the news of the human child (Chris, wasn't it?). Afterward, Sonic had immediately sprinted down the skyscraper and further into the city to perform one of the most impressive flying catches he had ever seen.

Knuckles watched Sonic disappear into the traffic. While he didn't openly show it, he was amazed at the incredible risk Chris took to get the Chaos Emerald. That took serious guts. He was glad to know that both Chris and the Chaos Emeralds were in safe hands, even if he didn't claim it himself.

Just then, he heard the sound of shouting coming from the nearby construction site. Turning, he saw two Egg Pawns menacing the officers, even firing blasts at them. The police retaliated with their guns, doing minimal damage with their bullets. Knuckles knew he had to act now.

He lunged toward the two Egg Pawns, and impaled the first one with a satisfying crunch. Before the other could react, Knuckles had kicked a hole through it. He then caught sight of a device attached to them, and picked one up.

"Perception filters," he mumbled, crushing it in his hand. No wonder we didn't see them sooner. He saw the astounded police officers approaching him, and waved his hand.

"No need to thank me; it's just what I do," he said before walking away. The officers stared after him.

"Uh... Shouldn't we be going after him?" one of the officers asked, remembering the order to catch him yesterday. The officer in charge of the group responded.

"We'll discuss this with the higher-ups, but I'm thinking no. It's pretty clear by now that he's one of the good guys. We'll let him go, but keep an eye on him."

Another officer ran up. "Hey, the bomb squad's here."

"All right, thanks," the officer in charge responded as he walked up to where the bomb squad's vehicles had just parked. Three personnel emerged from one of the vehicles.

"Okay, where's the gem in question?" one of the bomb squad members asked.

"Yes, it's right over here in this-" he stopped when he saw that the gem was gone. Puzzlement crossed the features of all who were present. The bomb squad had been briefed with the news report, so they knew the police weren't lying. However, they had no idea that it had been taken by a human child - a human child who had almost died to keep it out of the wrong hands.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

I was still not able to believe I had gone through a life-or-death situation like the one I had. While I know I wasn't old enough to skydive, it sure felt like what others described it like - except for the part where I didn't have a parachute.

I heard soft conversation around me as I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. I'm pretty sure this wasn't the afterlife. It couldn't be, unless the room I was in looked identical to Grandpa's lab, and the bed I was tucked in was his.

So I was still alive...

"He's awake," I heard Tails softly announce.

Turning, I saw the fox standing by my bedside. With him were Grandpa, Amy, Cream and Cheese. They were all looking at me with concerned expressions. The adrenalin was still draining from me, so I was feeling weak. But I started to sit up, as a lot of questions were on my mind.

"Lie back down, Chris," Grandpa instructed. As I did so, he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Chris, you nearly fell to your death today," he spoke, his voice slightly strained.

"Yeah," I responded quietly.

"Your friends told me what happened. They were very worried about you, Chris. Please promise me you'll be careful in the future and not throw yourself in danger. You know how your parents worry about you."

I solemnly nodded. "Did... Did Sonic save me?" I asked the first of many questions.

Amy nodded slightly. "He caught you seconds before you were due to hit the ground."

"I would have attempted a rescue," Tails added, "but I was too far away. Good thing Sonic was in the area."

My thoughts drifted to the Chaos Emerald. "Did we get the Emerald?" I asked, unsure if I had dropped it in my unconsciousness.

As an answer, Cream picked up the shiny green gem from off the dresser. Walking over to me, she gently placed it into my hands. Her Chao Cheese hovered over to me and gave a gentle hug, as if assuring me that I was going to be all right. I sure hoped I would be all right. This situation was perilous, even traumatic.

I fingered the Chaos Emerald. It was not as warm as it once was, but it still felt exactly the same as it has before. If that was only a fraction of its power that I had seen... then what was its full potential? What would it be like if all seven of them were to come together? Then spectacular things would happen... and Sonic and friends would be able to go home. Now that I was getting to know them better, I didn't know if I really wanted them to leave right away.

I put those thoughts aside, letting them turn to who saved me. "Is Sonic here?" I asked.

"Right here, buddy," Sonic called from the windowsill on the wall behind me. He hopped off and walked to my bedside. "Good to see you're still with us."

"Sonic..." I began, not sure how to phrase what I was about to say.

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry... sorry for throwing myself in danger like that. I'm just a kid, and... I almost lost the Emerald..."

"But you got it in the end, didn't you?" Sonic replied with his signature smirk. "For a kid, I gotta say you're really daring. I mean, risking it all to take a Chaos Emerald right out of the hands of Eggman himself - that's awesome in my book. You were way past cool back there!"

As Sonic gave me a thumbs-up, I couldn't help but beam. A compliment from one my best and most unique friends!

"We would probably have lost the Emerald if it weren't for you, Chris," Amy added.

"By the way, how _did_ you find out about it?" asked Tails.

"They had a TV tuned to the news in the cafeteria, and the report said where it was," I replied. "Good thing I'm a fast biker," I chuckled weakly.

"You did good today, Chris, but try to take care of yourself next time, okay, buddy?" Sonic said.

"All right," I answered. I hoped I would never find myself in one of those situations again.

My gaze returned to the Emerald. There was so much power within...

"One down, six to go..." I whispered.

"That's right," Cream responded, starting to get excited. "Then we can all go home, and I can see my mother!"

"That's right, Cream," Amy replied. "I really miss her baking."

Again it hurt me that Cream had to be without her mom for an extended period of time, especially since she's only six. But I knew she also had great, supportive friends who could take care of her, just as I did. There was definitely something different about Mobians compared to humans - a special kind of different. They were true friends, willing to risk it all to keep their own from harm. And I was proud to be called one of their own.

I looked from Sonic to Grandpa, to Tails, to Amy, to Cream and Cheese, before returning my gaze to the beauty of the Emerald. We had won that day, but it had very nearly come at a civilian cost. At least we had gotten the Chaos Emerald at the end of the day. Even though I was shaken from my near-death experience, I couldn't wait to see what my next adventure would bring.

* * *

 **A/N:** I can't resist my fluff endings, can I? We always need some fluff to offset the seriousness of the story.

Anyway, that's "Chaos Emerald Chaos"! Once again, I enjoyed writing this chapter, as it is one of my favorite early episodes. For a bit, I struggled with the school scenes, as I thought that would make complications with my "Techno-Teacher" rewrite. That one was hard to write; more on that when we get there.

I knew the President needed an actual name besides being called the President. According to the Japanese version, he was addressed as "Michael K" in "Prize Fights", but he signed his name as "Michael R" in the Shadow Saga. So I combined both aspects and called him President Michael Klaus Remerson. (Remerson is one of my ancestors' last names, BTW. Klaus I totally made up.)

One part that drove me up a wall in this episode was the ending sequence. I know I couldn't have Mr. Stewart attempt a rescue. That would blow his cover, Chris would still die on impact with the cushioned seat because of his fall rate, and he was too far away. But that's not what got me. What got me was the fact that Chris was standing and completely fine in the last scene with no signs of adrenalin rush whatsoever. So the point is: _Chris can't be "just fine" after nearly falling to his death!_ Also, his grandpa shrugged off with a laugh the idea that his only grandson nearly died that day. ...Wow.

Overall differences:

 _\- Chris isn't friends with Danny and Frances yet. (And no Helen for a little bit; I couldn't fit her in.)  
\- No Badniks! There wasn't any need for them here.  
\- But there are still Badniks! The two Egg Pawns that watched over the Emerald for Eggman.  
\- &Knuckles  
\- The Chaos Emerald talk scene is expanded and greatly improved. It's not like they don't know about Super Sonic.  
\- The end sequence is revamped (thank goodness)  
\- Mr. Stewart doesn't act like a creep around Chris.  
\- The order of the first two scenes are switched._

Originally I was going to have Chris tell Danny and Frances that Sonic was living with him. I'm glad I revised that.

And I think that just about does it! If you like it, leave a review; they are very encouraging. If you see something that needs editing, like a continuity error or an OOC character, let me know as well, and I'll correct it!

Also, I'd mention this this at the beginning, but I don't know if readers would forget by the time they get to the end. Anyway, I'm looking for a beta reader for this story. If you are a beta reader, PM me and we can work something out. Also, I'm available to beta read if you have a story that needs my services.

Next time is "Cracking Knuckles", an actually decent dub title that'll probably need renamed. I've got big plans for this intense chapter, so don't go anywhere. (You know you can't. At least, not when you favorite and follow this story.)

Until next time, everybody, Sonic Sez do the Mario!


	5. Citadel

_Battle in Silver Valley‼ Sonic vs. Knuckles_

 ** ** **Note (2/15/20): In a few months, this chapter will be updated to reflect my current writing style, as well as fix some errors.******

 **A/N:** Here it is, ladies and gentlemen and robots, the fifth chapter! And you may have noticed the anime title above this author's note. I decided to have fun and come up with improved anime titles for each of the chapters. In fact, I've updated the previous chapters to include new anime titles as well!

Speaking of updating, don't be surprised if you see this story bumped with no new chapters. That'll be just me updating a previous chapter. I won't do this often; maybe every three weeks or so should the need arise. There will probably be an update for Chapter 1 next week. In fact, maybe I should add a changelog at the bottom of the chapter pages...

Also, you may have noticed that I (finally) have a cover image for this story! I made it myself using Paint 3D and images I downloaded from Sonic News Network. My only regret is I wanted to make Eggman transparent, as you always have the transparent big bads in the background. It goes without saying.

I also enjoyed watching Sonic Mania Adventures and Team Sonic Racing: Overdrive. I thought that the design for TSR:O looked like a cross between Sonic Mania Adventures and Sonic X when I first saw it. I was a little disappointed that there were no voices, but since Tyson Hesse is behind it, everything's good. Also, I'm trying not to share current Sonic comic spoilers here... But I must say Dr. Starline is an awesome character. Additionally, I've seen the Sonic movie rumors, and so far, I'm liking them. Let's wait until we're closer to the release date before giving final judgments, but so far, I think I'm sold.

Now, about this chapter, I feel that I should give a **WARNING:** This will be a very intense chapter, with moments of trauma, tension, and maybe a little bit of another T word I don't like to use, and I'm not talking about T-Series. I will give a separate warning for that scene. Viewer discretion is advised, but if you like this kind of stuff... carry on, soldier.

Additionally, I should let you know that I am going to make changes to E-47 Pumpty. It will be renamed E-47 Citadel, hence the chapter name, and it will be fairly larger and have more abilities.

With that being said, let's move on to reviews and what matters most: the story!

* * *

 _ **GuardianDragon98**_

 _This chapter had me on the edge of my seat. Well-written and awesome as always!_

 _Now, this may seem like a bit of a stretch... But since you set Sonic X after Sonic Forces, and Sonic did tell Chris and his Grandpa that Eggman had imprisoned him for six months, do you think Sonic's experienced some form of trauma from being a prisoner for six months?_

 _I get that his personality is that of abundant optimism and confidence bordering on cockiness, but I wonder if Sonic sometimes gets overwhelmed by all of the responsibilities and expectations he has as Mobius' hero. Sometimes I look back on everything Sonic's been through and wonder, "Good Lord, how has this hedgehog not suffered any sort of mental breakdown?"_

 _Sometimes I wonder if Sonic sometimes feels like he has to mask his pain behind a happy-go-lucky demeanor so his friends don't worry. But when he's alone and stressed out, he lets that cheery facade come down._

 _Also... If Sonic was imprisoned by Eggman for six months, it's highly likely that he may have developed a fear of confinement. And if he's confined to one place for extended periods of time, he'll probably start panicking and looking for a way out._

 _That's just my two cents on the potential complexity of Sonic's character. I hope it wasn't too far out there._

 **Oh no, it wasn't too far out there at all. In fact, it was very interesting to read!**

 **Sonic does seem to have a hidden complexity to his character, especially after Forces. While he did mention that he was imprisoned for six months, he didn't mention that he was... _mistreated_... during that period. If Sonic masks his pain, this makes us wonder what kind of past he had. Will we ever find out? Only time will tell...**

 **As for Sonic being confined, that is an interesting theory. I never thought of Sonic as the type to be claustrophobic, but perhaps Forces changed all that.**

 _ **Guest**_

 _great chapter will orbot and cubot make an appearence_

 **Thanks! And yes, Orbot and Cubot will appear later in the story. They won't appear that much in Season 1, but expect them to appear a lot more in Seasons 2 and 3.**

 _ **The Green Seer**_

 _Heya! Great chapter again. Man, with how many details and added scenes you're making this is going to be a long journey. And I do enjoy a lengthy story! This time I don't have much to say though._

 _First things first, Frances and Danny. I'm glad that it was only now that Chris met them. That was something that kinda bugged me originally but it was a thing that I didn't realize needed to be corrected. So thank you for making it better and more logical. I'm happy you added Knuckles as well. It wasn't needed but I liked getting to see what he's up to after the last chapter. The next episode should be very entertaining and I'm curious how you'll go about it._

 _Mister Stewart was okay. Slightly better than the anime but in order to make it more natural because he's an experienced secret agent, you could have added at the end that he's a fan of Chris' mom and that striking up a conversation with him was in part due to his wish to one day meet her. (I believe he does bring that up as an excuse later on so continuity!) It is still suspicious as heck but it would have dissuaded Chris' suspicion a bit more in my opinion._

 _The conversation in the beginning was great. Everyone is on the same page more or less and I want to see the gang tell more stories about their previous adventures to the humans. The reactions are always awesome._

 _I think that's about it for this chapter. This episode didn't exactly stood out to me back then but with the emerald I understand it was important even if it was kinda boring. But I certainly can't wait for the next one. Sonic vs Knuckles always puts a smile on my face. Can't wait to see how you rewrite it._

 **And what a journey it will be...**

 **I had thought about what it would be like if Chris had never met Danny and Frances. I think this would make Chris' loneliness more plausible. I have seen Chris haters ask how Chris can be lonely if he has them as friends. So I went about having him not meet them until this chapter. It definitely made things more interesting. And Helen didn't appear because I didn't find a place for her. She should appear again in the rewrite for "Party Hardly".**

 **Even though it seemed unnecessary, I enjoyed adding Knuckles to the chapter. I think I redeemed him of his "over-niceness" in Chapter 3. I added him because how would he have not sensed the Chaos Emerald in the heart of Station Square? Additionally, I know perception filters are more of a Doctor Who thing, but I thought it would be cool for Eggman to use them too.**

 **I know, I could have made Mr. Stewart say something about being a fan of Lindsey Thorndyke. But I think that, as per "Party Hardly"'s plot, he'll announce his being a fan then. And it isn't just an excuse to come to Chris' house. But I can always alter the last chapter to include this.**

 **When it comes to this rewrite, I was never a "cut to the chase" kind of guy. I want to flesh out every scene possible. I didn't want to start the episode right after the story; I wanted to see what the while story would be like. And so that scene was born. Also, switching that scene with the President's scene and adding much more detail to that scene was a good move in my opinion.**

 **"Cracking Knuckles" was a great episode. As I said, it's going to be intense, because the episode looked like it was going to be intense. Are you ready?**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I do not own any elements in this story except for my own characters. Sonic the Hedgehog is owned by SEGA, who does not endorse or affiliate itself with this work of fiction. Real world locations and organizations are used fictitiously. Real world people will be mentioned, but will not appear, in order to adhere with "Entries not allowed" Rule 4._

Crack your knuckles. Catch some tails. It's time for "Cracking Knuckles", which is so not the OVA slogan!

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Knuckles the Echidna was sitting alone in an alley in one of the underpopulated parts of Station Square. A storm system had dumped a deluge of rain on the city all that day. The skies were still overcast, but gradually clearing. A breeze still lingered from the storm, strong enough to blow loose papers around. At least it was warm enough so that the echidna did not catch a chill. He had experienced worse during his duty on Angel Island.

It was Saturday night, five days since the first Chaos Emerald was discovered in the heart of Station Square. Even though it was a victory for his side, it was still a rough day. He never got the Emerald, but was grateful Sonic and the human (Chris, was it?) did. Speaking of the human, Knuckles was grateful Sonic was there to catch him when he fell. Chris had been incredibly brave.

A copy of the front page of the _Station Square Times_ blew by. Knuckles leaned down from the crate he was seated on and picked it up. It was Tuesday's edition, and the front page depicted the construction site. He had not seen any news crews or reporters anywhere on the scene, but he supposed the image was captured at a distance. The article spoke of the alien, his heroic efforts, and the hunt for the Emerald. For the most part, the article was accurate. After a moment of mindlessly scanning the article, he allowed the wind to take the newspaper from him.

He had not been entirely idle these past five days. He had picked up the faint signal of a distant Chaos Emerald, and moved in the direction he thought it was supposed to be in, but lost track of it. This was yesterday. He was determined to pick it up again, but unfortunately, he had no such luck. He may have been a expert treasure hunter, but even he could lose track of the prize.

Knuckles was a loner by nature, and naturally declined returning to where Sonic was staying. Besides, he could save more time if he was always out and about. The alley he was in was not overly cozy, but he was only there because it was the safest place to stay out of sight of this world's Overlanders.

His thoughts drifted back to the Master Emerald. How he missed it so. This situation should never have happened. It was all his- no, _Eggman_ _'s_ fault - he had Amy to thank for making clear this simple point last week. As soon as he got a chance, Eggman would rue the day he sent them to this world.

He thinking back to the Chaos Emerald and its unusually erratic nature. This wasn't like the Chaos Emeralds at all. Knuckles knew that this was because the Master Emerald was not sent here like the Emeralds were. He was grateful the Emeralds were even here at all. Otherwise, he would never return to Mobius. He _had_ to get back. If Rouge went anywhere _near_ the Master Emerald...

Knuckles had not been without food since he last met Sonic and the others. Sonic had been delivering Knuckles meals three times a day from wherever he was staying. Some of those times, Sonic asked if Knuckles was sure he wanted to stay out in the alleys. Knuckles says it's a lot safer than potentially being exposed to whoever visits the house. Besides, he was getting quite used to the alley. It wasn't like he was a prisoner or anything, for he could just move from spot to spot whenever necessary.

Simply put, he just didn't want to deal with being an alien among Overlanders who hadn't even seen Mobians before. Sure, he was out in the open when he fought Missile Wrist, but that was only because the stakes were too high. Publicity wasn't the only reason he was in hiding. Infamy was another. There was always the chance he would have a bad reputation on this planet in the form of arrest for espionage or, even worse, experimentation at the hands of this world's humans. He would not allow that to happen to him.

He strained to pick up the scent of another Chaos Emerald, but got nothing. Two days without a single lead, Even when he thought he detected one not too long ago. Two days was too long for him. One week was too much time away from Angel Island and the Master Emerald.

He buried his face in his oversized hands. He told himself he was not a colossal failure. It wasn't his fault. He would not cry. He was the last of his kind, the sole guardian of the Master Emerald. Guardians don't cry.

He shook his head slightly, and was about to stand up when he became aware of footsteps uncomfortably close behind him. He let his guard down. Now he was caught.

Upon turning around, he was both relieved and mildly surprised to see that it was Dr. Eggman. Bokkun floated beside him.

"How did you find me?" Knuckles calmly demanded.

The doctor shrugged. "I have my ways," he answered nonchalantly.

Knuckles was not impressed. "What do you want?"

"Knuckles," Eggman began as he sat down next to the echidna. "I understand we're both in the same boat, with no foreseeable way to return to Mobius without gathering all seven Chaos Emeralds. But is it just me, or has it occurred to you also that the Chaos Emeralds's power isn't being regulated?"

"What's it to you?" Knuckles asked without looking up.

"We've seen what the Chaos Emeralds are really capable of. You and me both. Everything has changed, all because the Master Emerald is not present in this plane of reality. The Emeralds aren't the same anymore. You saw what went down earlier this week. The Emerald was far more erratic and destructive that it's ever been observed to be."

"Yes, I've also noticed that," Knuckles nodded. He wondered what Eggman was getting at.

"Yes, okay. But I've also made another observation, another negative element the Emeralds now possess."

"And that is...?"

"They're starting to affect personalities in the slightest degree as well."

"What, really?"

"Yes. Have you observed the change in Sonic's personality since he has landed on Earth?"

"So?"

"I've been watching him closely this past week, ever since he took the Chaos Emerald." He said that last bit with a little malice. "He's been going on a daily run, taking different routes each time."

Knuckles shook his head. "That's just Sonic being Sonic. There's no-"

"No, you don't get it, Knuckles. When he was close to me during last week's battle, he had a look akin to manic on his face - barely noticeable, but still enough to tell that he might have a screw loose."

"I'm not buying this."

"Knuckles, this is a disposition he dares not to show his friends. Like I said, it's barely noticeable, but I caught a glimpse of him last week, and I immediately knew something was wrong. Plus, the way he went after my robot seemed unnatural. He doesn't just repeatedly attack a force field knowing it's there."

"That may seem plausible, Eggman, but how do you know it wasn't just that one day?"

"What, you don't think Sonic goes on a run without my spy bots keeping tabs on him? Why, just this morning, I caught him with that look."

"Really."

"You know how powerful the Chaos Emeralds are, Knuckles. You and I both know they can be influenced by emotion, whether it be positive or negative. But without the Master Emerald's presence, the discharge rate is much higher, causing not only the carnage that happened earlier this week, but also a release of their emotional charge. They are actually _influencing_ emotion now."

"If this is true," Knuckles said, "then something needs to be done. I don't think the Chaos Emeralds have ever been away from the Master Emerald for this long."

"I know," replied Eggman as he stroked his overgrown mustache. "According to a study I ran yesterday, further exposure to the Chaos Emeralds in their current state will increase the negative emotion over time and eventually lead to insanity. Already these effects are happening, and if nothing is done before long, Sonic and his friends will fully descend into insanity and use the Chaos Emeralds for their own selfish purposes. Then we will never return to Mobius!"

"His friends also?" Knuckles queried. "I thought only Sonic could channel the-"

"It would seem it affects all Mobians, and Mobians only. Your human friends will not be affected directly."

Knuckles took some time to think this over. "Why are you telling _me_ about this?"

Eggman crossed his arms. "Because this is were you come in. You're going to personally knock some sense into Sonic. I'll let you choose the location, time, and terms of your fight within reason."

"Hm..." Knuckles thought this over before looking up. "I like the sound of that. So how do I get the message through? I can't exactly just stroll up to him and demand a fight right then and there."

"Of course not; that's foolhardy," Eggman responded before turning to Bokkun. "Bokkun, get the TV ready."

Bokkun wordlessly pulled one of his yellow televisions from the bag he always carried and switched it on.

"Just say your message into the built-in microphone here, and give a thumbs-up when you're done," instructed Eggman. "It will be delivered tomorrow morning."

Knuckles nodded, and Bokkun pressed record.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

"Make sure you two hide should one of my guardians comes," I instructed Amy and Cream.

We were in the living room, and the two girls and Cheese were seated on the couch with the TV on. They were allowed to be downstairs as long as they were quiet. Tanaka was doing yard work outside, such as pruning the hedges, and Ella was upstairs doing detailed cleaning of all the rooms. I knew Amy and Cream couldn't stay for long, as chances were my guardians could come unexpectedly.

"Okay," Amy agreed. "But where do we hide?"

"Uh..." I scanned the room before spotting a suitable location. "Behind the couch over there should be fine."

The two of them nodded. Cream quietly yawned as I left the house and headed toward the garage to check on Grandpa and Tails. It was a lazy day, and I didn't have much to do. I wasn't worried about Sonic getting caught; he was resting up on the balcony right now, and could easily warn Amy and Cream about the possibility of Tanaka entering the house.

I pulled open the door to the garage, and stepped inside. Ascending the stairs and pushing open the trap door, I spotted Grandpa and Tails in the lab. Both appeared to be hovering around the Chaos Emerald, which was attached to a device I had never seen before.

"What's up, Chris?" Grandpa asked me.

"Just checking on you guys," I replied. Noticing the Chaos Emerald and the device it was installed in, I asked, "Is the Chaos Emerald still stable?"

Tails nodded. "It is. I built a stabilizer for it last night to help prevent its power from going haywire. Chuck also added some of his own technology with it, didn't you, Chuck?"

Grandpa chuckled and nodded. The stabilizer was a gray hexagonal device with slots for each of the seven Chaos Emeralds.

"Grandpa, did your own study of the Chaos Emerald reveal anything?"

He shook his head. "No, I couldn't get any more information than my previous test. Just like before, all the readings were off the charts. Last time I tested it, the Emerald had a meltdown that nearly cost me my computer."

"I remember that," I said. I wasn't there to witness that, but Grandpa told me about it later that day.

"Good thing you were at school when it happened, Chris," Tails added. "There was Chaos energy flying everywhere, and it could have easily hit someone."

"...Wow..." was all I could reply to that.

"That was exactly why I built the stabilizer," continued Tails. "So far, it's working perfectly."

"Good to know," Grandpa said. "From now on, all further analysis of the Chaos Emerald is to be done with the Emerald plugged into the stabilizer."

I was thoughtful for a moment. "I can't believe it's been six days since we found the Emerald."'

"I know," Grandpa responded before turning to Tails. "Have you detected any more Chaos Emeralds nearby?" he asked.

Tails shook his head. "Like I said, they're not easy to find. Sometimes we go for weeks without finding one."

Just then there was knock on the trap door.

Oh no.

Ella.

We had to act fast, or she would see Tails.

Another thought hit me just then. What if she already saw Amy and Cream? Did they manage to hide in time?!

"I need to clean your lab, Mr. Thorndyke!" the maid called from beneath the door. "Two weeks is too long to go without a proper cleaning."

"Give me a minute, Ella!" Grandpa called.

The sudden situational change made Tails flustered. "Where? Where do I go? What do I do?"

"Stuffed animal!" I blurted the first thing on my mind. Fortunately Tails got the drift and flopped onto one of the beanbags. At the same time, Grandpa was hurriedly hiding the Chaos Emerald stabilizer inside his large analysis machine he had built with the help of Nelson. He then walked over and lifted the trap door.

Ella entered the lab with her cordless Dyson.

"Oh, this definitely needs cleaning," she mused as she turned on the vacuum and got to work. "It's about time you let me vacuum."

Ella was like a second mother to me when Mom was away on business. But that's not what I was thinking.

I could have bit my fingernails as Ella was close enough for Tails to touch her.

Then her eyes met his.

Sure, it was to be expected, but I began blushing furiously, thinking the Mobians' cover was blown. Talk about hiding in plain sight. At least Ella didn't touch it.

"I don't believe I've seen this plush toy before," Ella remarked. "Where did you get it?"

"Uh..." I was at a loss for words. Fortunately Grandpa intervened just in time.

"I-It's a present delivered to the wrong address," he smoothly told Ella. Way to go, Gramps.

"It really is cute," Ella remarked, while somehow completely missing the fact that it had two tails. Well, we're all familiar with Japanese anime, and I'm pretty sure that a "plush" like Tails would be nothing out of the ordinary there.

"If you don't mind, we'll leave you to your work, Ella," Grandpa announced, picking up Tails. "We'll resend this gift to the post office so it can be mailed to its rightful owner."

"All right," responded Ella as I opened the trap door. Grandpa went downstairs first, then me. I shut the door behind us. Whew. That was a close one.

Grandpa led the way as we stole out of the garage. He grunted a little as he pushed the door open.

"Is he too heavy for you?" I asked as we began to cut through the yard.

"Nah, not at all," Grandpa responded as he repositioned Tails over his shoulder. "He's only like forty-something pounds."

"Forty-four," Tails whispered.

We reached the mansion's side door, and I ran ahead and opened it for Chuck. Amy and Cream ran over, eager to tell us something.

"I just saw on the news," Amy began, "They think they found signs of a Chaos Emerald at a place called Silver Valley."

Silver Valley...

Chuck nodded, trying not to show his surprise. "Thanks for telling us this. I'll be ready to drive us all over in just a few minutes."

Just then the sound of footsteps could be heard. Chuck immediately put down Tails.

"Quick, hide," he urged as he approached the source of the footsteps.

Tails, Amy, and Cream instinctively dashed out of the room and into the kitchen the moment before Mr. Tanaka walked in. The home's cordless phone was in his hand.

"Mr. Alexander Pell wishes to speak with you, Mr. Thorndyke," he announced.

"I need to take this," Grandpa told me as he took the phone. "I'll be right back."

Grandpa and Mr. Tanaka both left the room. I entered the kitchen just as the Mobians were creeping back into the room.

"Coast is clear," I said. "Amy and Cream, did you manage to hide in time before?"

Both nodded. Good to know.

"What about you, Tails? Did you manage to hide from Ella?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, even though I had to hide in plain sight. All I did was act like a stuffed animal."

"It was close," I added.

"Anyway, Amy," Tails said, "did the news report say if anyone claimed to have seen the Chaos Emerald itself?"

"No," she responded. "All they said was gadgets were shut down and traffic was backed up in Cantonville."

"That _is_ strange..." mused Tails.

"We just need to wait for Grandpa before we can go," I reminded. "He's on the phone with a scientist friend of his."

"Silver Valley looks like a beautiful place," remarked Cream.

"It sure does," agreed Amy.

"Maybe we can bring a picnic there with us!"

"Great idea!" Amy beamed. "It will definitely be worth the trip!"

Tails wasn't as enthusiastic though. "I thought we were just going for the Emerald."

I nodded. "We are, but Cream is right. We should bring a picnic. We should take this time to enjoy Silver Valley, as I haven't been there in years." I was somber at this last part, as it gave me memories...

Just then we heard footsteps. I was making the motions to shoo my three friends from the room, but they were already on their way out.

"It's just me," Grandpa assured as he entered the kitchen. The Mobians came back into the kitchen not that the imminent danger was over.

"What did Professor Pell say?" I asked.

"He wants to meet with me and talk about one of his projects in an hour. Unfortunately, this means I can't drive you to Silver Valley."

Silence fell across the room. I knew that if we couldn't go to Silver Valley, we would risk losing the Chaos Emerald to Dr. Eggman, and we certainly couldn't have that. So far, Eggman didn't have any Emeralds, and we wanted it to stay that way.

" _But,_ " he continued, "I assure you I will still get you to your destination today."

"How?" I asked, unsure of how he was going to do it.

Grandpa pulled his wallet from his pocket and handed me a few bills. "This should pay for a train ticket to Cantonville. It's the closest town to Silver Valley."

My spirits were lifted a little. "Thanks! But... aren't I too young to go on a train on my own?"

"Don't worry about it," Grandpa reassured. "Your status as a celebrity should give you the clearance you need." Being a Thorndyke really had its advantages.

"But what about the Mobians? How will they get there?" I brought up.

"Hmm... Oh, that _is_ a predicament," he thought. "I'm sure you all will figure something out. Now I need to get ready to prepare for Professor Pell's visit. There's so much to talk about and very little time to prepare for it all."

As Grandpa left, I wondered if the stuffed animal trick would work. But I can't carry three Mobians and a Chao onto the train. He wasn't dismissive of us; he was just pressed for time and knew they couldn't all act limp.

Wait a minute...

"Okay, Amy and I are taking the Tornado," Tails decided, reading my mind.

Suddenly, it didn't seem like a good idea.

"But that would mean Cream and Cheese are coming with me on the train," I added.

"Yeah, that's a bad idea," agreed Amy. "I don't know how long they would be able to hold the act."

"What act?" Cream asked, her large brown eyes wide.

"The 'act like a stuffed animal' act," I explained. Cream nodded, but she still seemed a little confused.

"Oh, I know!" exclaimed Amy. "I should go with Chris, and Cream should go with Tails."

"Great idea!" Tails agreed.

"As for the picnic, let's see if we can get the picnic basket..." I opened the pantry door. It didn't take me ling to find the wicker basket with the picnic mat inside. I took it out and set it on the counter.

"All right. Tails and Cream, why don't you load these with the sandwiches in the fridge. I think two will do for each of us, so eight total. Amy and I will head to the train station."

"Okay," Tails agreed as he and Cream headed toward the fridge. I led Amy to the side door, and we both walked out. We had barely taken a few steps through the yard when we heard Sonic's voice from above us.

"Where are you going?" he called from the balcony railing. I turned to him, and he looked to me like he didn't sleep much last night.

"Oh, just up to Silver Valley for a picnic," Amy casually replied. So what if we kept the Chaos Emerald part secret from him?

Sonic smirked. "I get the feeling there's a bit more to your escapade than that."

"And there's also a Chaos Emerald."

Sonic's response surprised me.

"Yeah, well, unfortunately, I can't go with you guys. I had a late night with a couple of Eggman's bots."

"What happened?" Amy inquired.

"Apparently Eggman was pretty mad about the Chaos Emerald being taken from him this week-" he gave me a wink "-so he sent out a scouting party to search for more. I think they might have nearly picked up a signal, but being the party crasher that I am, I trashed those bots before they could relay their signal back to Eggman."

There was a pause.

"Um, is it just the two of you going?" he asked cautiously.

"Oh no, no," I answered. "Tails and Cream are coming too."

"Thought so," he replied. "Well, good luck on the hunt."

"Thanks," I thanked as Amy and I turned to head down the driveway. "Some other time..." she muttered under her breath. Fortunately, I knew the train station was a mile and half away from our house, so it wouldn't take us terribly long to get there.

* * *

 **TIME SKIP.**

Not too long afterward, I was boarding the train to Cantonville, having purchased a ticket with the money Grandpa gave me. I was carrying Amy over my left shoulder. Earlier I had been reluctant to do so, since I have respect for girls, but Amy assured me it would be all right, and it would just be for this train ride.

Now I had a difficult time carrying her _and_ walking at the same time. I had to readjust her a few times as I nearly stumbled into the sides of the seats. At last, I managed found a vacant seat and sat down. After showing my ticket to the conductor, we were finally off for Cantonville.

We had been drawing stares from the moment we boarded the train. Now I don't want to say that I was embarrassed, but imagine John Boener with a sun tan and you'd be getting close. The people were making comments I would never make.

"Wow, look at how big it is."

"Where do they sell them?"

"What does he need a stuffed animal for?"

I was redder than Bob the Tomato without sunscreen. I wanted to look at my phone for the entire duration of the trip, but if I did, I would probably let my guard down. Fortunately, Amy was close enough to me so that we could communicate at a whisper.

"What do I do?" I whispered.

"Tell them something they'll want to hear," she replied. I was confused at what she meant at first, but discreetly put a finger to my lips and nodded.

"I didn't know he has autism," a teen said. Now I know that autism is not something to joke about. I held back a retort.

"Uh, I'm just... personally delivering this plush to a friend who lives up in Cantonville. No big deal."

That seemed to settle with them, for they nodded and continued about their activities. While some of them still glanced in my direction, I didn't feel like I was in the spotlight that much.

"I need to blink," Amy whispered.

I nodded and carefully turned Amy so that she faced the window. A few people even had the nerve to take pictures. I sighed, knowing I had to endure this torture for the entire duration of the twenty-five minute journey to Cantonville. It was a small price to pay for the Chaos Emerald, which, in the end, made the trip worth it.

* * *

 **TIME SKIP.**

Our way off the train and away from the station was probably more taxing on my nerves than our way on. For one, there were unfamiliar people staring at us. For another, the people I had gotten more familiar with would stop staring. They must have thought that I, Christopher Thorndyke, son of an entrepreneur and a Hollywood actress, was addicted to stuffed animals like Linus was to his blanket. I was so relieved when we were finally a good distance away from the station, where I could put down Amy, who had been slung over my shoulder again. I massaged my aching shoulder as I looked around.

"We should be safe now," I almost whispered.

"I could sense your humiliation on the train," Amy replied softly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I answered as we got a move on again. "To be honest, it kinda was embarrassing. What about you?"

"All things considered, it wasn't so bad," she replied. "Even though I've never had to act like a stuffed animal before. That was a clever tactic you came up with back in the lab."

"Heheh, thanks. It was the first thing I thought of when I heard Ella coming."

"Well, it was still a really good idea."

I looked around the part of Cantonville we were in. I knew this part of town well. The path to Silver Valley and the Chaos Emerald was within sight now. And with it memories of the past...

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

Talk about a mondo rude awakening.

First, I'm examining the insides of my eyelids for a few moments, then next thing I know, there's a finger diffing into my ribs. The moment I opened my eyes, I almost audibly groaned. Eggman's courier robot Bokkun was standing on the railing. He was holding an all-too-familiar yellow television.

Guy's got a message for me. Can't a hedgehog catch some Zs?

"What do you want?" I mumbled.

He smiled a mischievous smile as he usually does. "You've probably guessed that I've got a message for you."

I sighed. "What does the doc want this time?"

"Actually, you'll be surprised to know that it _isn't_ Dr. Eggman who wants to speak to you."

"Well, that's a surprise," I responded, tapping my chin. "Then who is it?"

"Take a guess," Bokkun pressed. "It's not as much fun if I just tell you who it is."

"I hate these guessing games," I grumbled as I sat up. "Hmm... Knuckles."

"Wha... How'd you know?!" Bokkun exclaimed in shock.

"You just leaned on the play button by mistake," I pointed out. Bokkun nearly panicked as the screen showed its image prematurely. Sure enough, Knuckles was on the screen. He was in an alley of some sort, and he was not happy.

"Oops!" Bokkun realized his mistake and rewound the clip back to the beginning before pausing. I couldn't make out anything Knuckles was saying over our commotion, but it was a bit loud, given we're trying to hide from the humans.

"And can you turn it down a bit?" I requested. "The folks inside can't know we're here yet."

Bokkun cocked a brow. "Why not?" he asked in curiosity.

"I've got my reasons," I shrugged. No way would this kid understand that I don't want Tanaka and Ella discovering my presence as much as Chris does. "Just go ahead and roll the tape."

The mischief maker reached down and turned down the volume before pressing the play button. Knuckles once again appeared on the small screen.

"I know the truth," he growled in a dangerously low voice. "I now know the full extent of the Chaos Emeralds' power given the absence of the Master Emerald. You aren't really controlling them. In fact, they are now controlling you. They are driving you to the point of insanity, to the point that you're going to prevent us from going home!"

I blinked. Many questions went through my head. Last I checked, the Chaos Emeralds don't influence emotions. It's the other way around. More importantly, how did Bokkun record Knuckles? Maybe Eggman was involved.

But Knuckles wasn't done.

"Don't believe me? Then meet me at eleven sharp at Silver Valley and we'll have a _talk_."

Silver Valley? This had to be more than a coincidence. Besides, I didn't like the way he pronounced that last word as the video ended.

"Uh, what time is it?" I asked.

Bokkun checked the time on the TV. "Oh, looks like you're quite a couple minutes late. Chop chop," he urged. "Oh, and you can keep this!"

He set the TV down on the railing and started to fly away. I saw that I _wasn't_ late at all; it was only 10:58. As it began to tick, I knew exactly what was going to happen. These TVs are set to explode as a joke. I don't think it's funny, though.

I immediately sat up, grabbed the TV, and leaped high into the air, throwing the TV off to the side. Not a moment too soon, as it burst the moment after I tossed it. As the shrapnel fell (sorry about the lawn), Bokkun turned to me and saw that I was completely fazed.

"I can't fool you, can I?" he stated, his surprised look changing into a determined grin. "Next time!" he vowed before flying away. With Bokkun, I'm more than willing to bet that there will be a next time.

 _Looks like my nap has to wait,_ I thought as as I ran in the direction of Silver Valley. If that's where Amy, Cream, Tails, and Chris went, then they're bound to get in trouble. I knew I had to make sure they're okay and settle things with Knuckles.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

With all the beauty Silver Valley held, I was surprised it wasn't a state park yet. I could tell Amy was amazed at all the scenery, for I could sense that I was walking faster than she was.

I could see the lake ahead of us - it appeared to be a mile long and a quarter mile wide. It reflected its natural surroundings off of its crystal clear surface.

"Looks like Tails and Cream have been here a while," I noted as I spotted the now-familiar form of the Tornado about eighty yards from the edge of the lake.

Amy turned in the same direction I was facing and stepped forward. "And they've already set up the picnic for us! Come on!"

Excited, she ran toward the lake, and I ran after her. Looking around, I found it a little odd that we were the only ones here. I mean, it's a beautiful Sunday, clearing clouds, couldn't be a better day to come here, right?

These thoughts were pushed to the back of my head as we approached the picnic site. It was set up maybe thirty feet from the water's edge. Tails and Cream smiled as we arrived.

"Great timing," commented Tails as we sat down. "We've just finished setting up." I must have still been blushing a little from what went down on the train, for Tails asked, "How was the train ride?"

"Too close for comfort," I recalled, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks once again. "Everyone kept staring. Some people even took pictures."

Tails' eyes widened. "I'm sorry you had to go through that," he apologized, "but there really wasn't any other way. The Tornado's a two-seater, and-"

"It's okay," I replied. "At least we made it here." Tails and Cream were lucky they got to ride in the Tornado. They didn't have to worry about anyone staring at them from mere feet away.

I had to admit, it felt strange being out and about with people other than my family or family friends. I mean, I got to have lunch with kids around my age, and no grown-ups were present! I guess Grandpa and Sonic could trust us to take care of ourselves.

We dug into the sandwiches that Ella had made. There were two apiece, and Cream shared with Cheese, taking small pieces off her sandwich to give to her Chao. There was also orange juice and water for us.

Amy turned to Tails. "Good thing you taught us about the stuffed animal act. It really came in handy this time."

"I know," nodded Tails around a mouthful of sandwich. He swallowed before continuing, "But I don't know how much longer we'll be able to hold out. I mean, it worked this time. Next time might be different."

"You're right," responded Amy. "Sooner or later, the whole country will know we're here, like it or not."

"That's what I'm afraid of," I admitted.

"Hey, look on the bright side," encouraged the fox seated at my left. "At least your country's government isn't after us right now."

"But they were just after you when you guys were fighting Dr. Eggman's robot on the skyscraper!" I recalled.

"Oh, that was back when they didn't know us as well," Amy said. "Given time, they'll see us as the heroes and stop coming after us, and the people will get used to us being around here."

"...I'm not sure how that's going to work smoothly..." I thought aloud.

"Mr. Tails, did you bring your Chaos Energy detector?" Cream brought up.

Realization spread across Tails' face as he became flustered. "Ah, I completely forgot about it! Even if I did remember, I couldn't go back to get it anyway because Ella was working in the lab."

"Well, this is gonna be a challenge..." admitted Amy.

We were already nearly finished lunch. I reached into my right pocket for my phone.

"You know something?" I realized. "If there's a Chaos Emerald here, where is everybody? Like, there is _literally_ no one here right now."

"You read my mind," Amy seconded as I unlocked my phone to check the time.

Except I couldn't. The screen wouldn't turn on. I was sure I charged it this morning.

"Is something wrong with your phone?" Tails noticed.

"Yeah, it's not turning on." I sighed. "I really hope this isn't one of the Chaos Emerald's side effects."

"It shouldn't be," replied Tails. "I've never seen the Chaos Emeralds have such adverse effects. Whatever the case, I'll take a look at it when we get back to your place." I nodded.

A few minutes later, lunch was finished, and we were putting all the picnic supplies back in the basket.

"Miss Amy?" Cream turned to the pink hedgehog next to her. "Is it okay if I take a nap?"

Amy nodded. "Did the nightmare keep you up last night?" she asked tenderly.

"Mhm," Cream quietly admitted.

"Aww, I'm sorry to hear that. Here, I can get you settled down..."

"She can sleep next to the Tornado," said Tails, "and the picnic blanket can be used as her blanket."

"Let's do that," agreed Amy as she pulled the blanket from the basket.

"Uh, what are you guys going to use as a pillow?" I realized. The others looked as confused as I did. Looking around, we saw nothing that could serve as a pillow. Then I got an idea.

"Hey, what if we use the folded picnic blanket as a pillow? It's warm enough out here that we don't really need a blanket."

"Great idea!" Amy agreed. Good thing she didn't unfold the blanket yet. "I'll be right with you two as soon as I get Cream settled down. Come on, Cream."

As Amy and Cream headed back toward the Tornado, I turned to look at the lake. It was beautiful. I would even say it sparkled.

After a moment of silence, Tails turned to me. "How much do you want to bet the Chaos Emerald's in the lake?" he asked.

Oh no.

"I didn't even think to bring my swim gear!" I groaned. "If I had known-"

"It's fine," assured Tails as he started toward the edge of the lake. "I can go down and search for the Emerald."

I raised my eyebrows. "You can swim?" I asked.

"Sure I can," Tails nodded. "In fact, I usually swim on missions where Sonic can't. I remember this one time there was a Chaos Emerald underwater..."

As Tails was relating one of his past stories, I was hit hard by memories from the past. Silver Valley was the last place I had seen my cousin Matt before he left for college. We played ball together and had a giant feast with his mom, Grandpa, Ella, and Tanaka all present before he left. That was four years ago. He was like a big brother to me. We didn't live in the same house, but we saw each other very often nonetheless. I don't know what happened to his dad, but his mom did the hard work of raising him on her own. To think that he was finally going to come back soon...

"Chris? You there?" Tails reminded me of his presence.

"Uh, yeah," I replied, snapping back to reality. "I was just thinking."

"About what?" pressed Tails. I didn't know if I wanted to tell him at first, but I thought, why hide information from a friend if it's nothing to be ashamed about?

"Well... I was here when I last saw my cousin Matt before he moved to Minneapolis to go to college. He was like a big brother to me."

"How long ago was this?" asked Tails softly.

"Four years," I replied just as solemnly. "When he left, it was as if a piece of me was missing. He was always in my life."

Tails had a look of sympathy in his eyes. "I didn't know this place was so nostalgic for you."

"I haven't been here since," I replied.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Tails said before he turned to the water. "But I know you'll see him again soon, right?"

"Right," I answered. I was about to tell him that he was coming back when the fox cut me off.

"I'm just going to quickly dive in and scan the lake bed for the Chaos Emerald," Tails announced as he ran toward the lake.

"Be careful," I told him as he slowed down and slipped beneath the surface of the crystal-clear lake.

Returning to my thought, this time not about Matt, I wondered why there wasn't anyone else around these parts if there was a Chaos Emerald. Well, the police _did_ tell the people to stay clear of the Emerald, as they didn't know what it could do. Neither did I, but I risked my _life_ for it. In the end, it was worth it.

I heard footsteps behind me. Turning around, I saw Amy slowing to a stop. "Where's Tails?" she asked.

I motioned to the lake. "He just went down to look for the Chaos Emerald." I didn't even know if it was down there, but hey, it's worth a shot.

Amy wordlessly stared across the lake. I turned to her in curiosity. "Amy?"

"Something isn't right here..." she spoke. I was confused. Everything was peaceful around here. What could be wrong?

"I... don't see anything," I replied after another scan across the tranquil lake. Amy shook her head.

"No, there's something," she stated almost absent-mindedly. "I don't know what it is, though..."

The moment she was saying this, I caught sight of several large bubbles rising and popping about twenty feet out. Tails surfaced at the shore, completely unaware of the giant bubbles. He gulped in a lungful of air.

"I couldn't find it," he called between pants. "And there's a giant metal object down there I'm pretty sure shouldn't be there."

Amy grimly nodded. "We're getting out of here," she declared. She started to back away from the lake as I was looking on, confused. Tails got out of the water and carefully shook the water off his fur. The bubbles started getting larger.

"Chris, run," Amy urged, fear etching its way into her voice. So something under the water was causing it to churn the way it did. Three cheers for ladies' intuition.

But just as I started to run for my life, the water exploded behind us. Turning back to look, I realized "explosion" wasn't a strong enough word. I mean, the water _had_ to go up a good hundred feet. It was so powerful that we felt some of the water's spray. The suddenness of the event, coupled with the noise, made my heart pound.

You know what else made my heart pound? What caused the eruption. I was rooted to the spot in sheer fascination and terror as a giant metal object rose from the water. It was definitely a robot, but it was the biggest robot I had ever seen. It had two giant legs, a giant glass cylinder for its body, and two giant shovels for arms.

"Noooo!" Amy exclaimed as she backed away from the robot. It was almost as if she had seen that particular robot before.

"Amy, run!" shouted Tails as he desperately tried to escape the robot, as he was unfortunately the closest to it.

I caught sight of a petrified Cream near the Tornado. "Cream, run now!" Tails demanded. Immediately the little rabbit got up and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her, her Chao right behind her. Not a moment too soon, either. Suddenly a bright blue beam of energy shot out of the singular eye of the robot and struck us. But instead of vaporizing us, it was surrounding me, Tails, and Amy, and was slowly drawing us to a spot in front of the robot. I started to get scared. _Really_ scared.

"W-What's happening?!" I panicked. Tails said something, but I think that the beam did something so that we couldn't hear a word we were saying. In fact, I don't think even I could hear me.

An agonizing thirty seconds later, the beam finally stopped us on the shore close to the water. The robot raised one of its arms, which was most definitely a digging hoe, and lowered it toward us. The thing was _huge_ , able to probably hold a dozen prisoners at max capacity. It embedded itself in the ground before scooping us high into the air, maybe fifty feet. The light surrounding us started to die down. I tried to feel the air above the shovel in an attempt to maybe escape, but there was only an invisible barrier. Even if I could escape, I would risk smashing my head on part of the robot or the ocean floor.

Meanwhile, a hatch in the robot's body opened, and the shovel moved toward it. Before I knew it, the shovel tipped us toward the opening, dumped us inside the cylinder, dirt and all. I landed roughly on my bottom and elbows. Tails landed on his stomach, and Amy landed in a near-sitting position against the center of the chamber. The hatch shut before we could move.

The three of us sat there in fear, dirt all over us, panting heavily. None of us spoke for what felt like several minutes. I felt bruised all over, and knew that Tails and Amy felt the same, even if Mobians are more durable than humans. At least I wasn't cut.

Why did this have to happen? This was a beautiful day, and all we came here to go was get the Chaos Emerald, may be enjoy the scenery, and head back home. But now we fell for a death trap, most likely set up by Dr. Eggman. It was terrifying in every way possible. The air felt tight, and I knew it would feel stale soon.

As I sat there, I surveyed the chamber we were trapped in. we were completely surrounded by glass. I quickly judged that it wasn't ordinary glass. It had to be very strong, like Plexiglas. I couldn't see the ground directly beneath us from where we were, but I knew that we were over water, and the shore was about twenty to thirty feet away. The ceiling appeared to be made of metal like the rest of the robot. There were a few dim lights up there, and there also seemed to be some other devices as well. The center of the robot was made entirely of metal, and I could only assume there were a few maintenance panels here and there.

I was too scared to move. I didn't want to move, yet I knew there had to be some way out. I mustered up the courage to speak.

"Wh... what happened?"

My wavering voice echoed throughout the chamber in a foreboding manner. This was something out of a thriller on overdrive. It actually made me afraid to speak aloud.

"This... This is a Citadel..." Amy whispered after a moment. I figured whispering would be better so we wouldn't scare ourselves with our own reflected voices.

"A Citadel," I repeated in an equally hushed tone.

Tails nodded. "They were used during the war a year ago." I would have to hear more about the war, but not now, of course.

"They were used to capture the citizens of villages and ship them up to a space station called the Death Egg so that they... so that they could be turned into... robots," Amy continued in a shaky voice, as if speaking to herself out of awe. What she said really frightened me down to my core. "...I thought we destroyed them all..." she finished after a moment.

Tails notices my terrified expression and turned to Amy. "Let's not bring that up now," he quietly advised. "I know we're scared too, but it's clear he's not seen situations like this." Amy nodded as Tails crawled over and squeezed my hand. "We'll get out of this, Chris. Just hang in there."

Was this Citadel, or whatever the robot was called, really mass-produced back then? Well, maybe not _mass_ -produced, but enough to cause lasting damage to property and lives alike. I couldn't wait to get out of here. My fear was starting to calm down somewhat, but I was still very much afraid.

"Do you think Sonic will find out about this?" I asked hopefully.

"Of course," nodded Tails. "Like I said, he's got a sixth sense for danger. He'll know what happened to us and-"

Suddenly a near-deafening boom echoed through the chamber, causing me to nearly leap out of my skin. My heart must have been running a marathon in my chest. Tails was equally as surprised, evident by his suddenly clasping both hands to his heart. We turned to see Amy. It wasn't her that scared me, it was this giant hammer she was holding. I was _sure_ it wasn't here when we arrived. The red and yellow hammer was _huge_ , about as large as she is. In fact, the head of the hammer is about as large as her own head, if not larger!

"Guess that didn't work," she muttered to herself. She (somehow) made her hammer disappear before turning to us. "Oh no, did I scare you? I'm so sorry! I should have told you first!" she exclaimed in apology.

Tails still had his hands over his heart. "It's fine," he whispered. "But please don't make any sudden noises; we're already on edge as it is."

The bruises started to hurt, and I knew I might hurt in the morning tomorrow. Tails started to stand up.

"Did Cream manage to escape?" I whispered. Amy carefully peered out the window, scanning the coastline and the rest of the valley, before turning back to me.

"I don't see her anywhere," she answered, "so I'm hoping she did."

Just then we heard insane cackling coming from... where? It sounded like it was coming from the center of the robot that I was leaning against. And yet we could clearly see Dr. Eggman descending in his Eggmobile outside.

"Looks like my trick worked perfectly," he announced gleefully. "I was counting on you being here, human. You, who risked your like for what, a rock? Was nearly dying worth stealing from a grown-up?!"

Anger set in, and I stood up to face the mad doctor. ...Who am I kidding, I can't even intimidate a fly...

"Leave him out of this!" demanded Amy.

But Eggman shook his head, amused. "You know, this was going to be a trap set for Sonic, but I ended up getting three for the price of one. Consider this revenge for _stealing._ " He glowered at me. "Also, news flash: there _is_ no Chaos Emerald here."

What? So we came here for nothing?

"I had a feeling the moment I saw this robot," Tails stated grimly, showing little surprise.

"Oh, it's not just my last surviving Citadel," Eggman gloated. "It's the slightly modified E-47 Citadel. Now modified as part the E-Series, it is far more durable and more powerful than its predecessor!"

If its predecessor had the ability to carry people to space, then how much more powerful is this version? I didn't want to know. I could feel my fear rising again. I wanted out badly.

"Gloating aside, Eggman, tell me how you were able to so precisely fake a Chaos Emerald signal," Tails said.

"Actually, I didn't have to do anything that complex," he explained. "All I did was create a small electromagnetic pulse across the town, and sit back and let the press jump to their own conclusions."

Tails' eyes were wide. "...Wow. That's pretty ingenious, I'll give you that."

"Why thank you, Miles," Eggman fake-bowed. That was the first time I heard anyone use Tails' real name. "Oh, since I sense boredom in there, you might as well sit back and enjoy the upcoming show I have in store for you."

"Wh-what show?" I dared to ask. Eggman pointed to something way in the distance.

"Do you see Knuckles way over there? Right now, he's waiting for a fight with Sonic."

If there's something anyone should never do, especially villains, it's make a girl mad. In Amy's case, it's manipulating her crush. Grave mistake on Eggman's part.

"What did you do to Knuckles?!" demanded Amy, her voice made more foreboding by its echoing across the chamber. It startled me, to say the least.

"Oh, I just tricked him like always," shrugged Eggman. Just then he turned just in time for us to see a blue streak appear over the horizon. "Oh look, here he comes now!"

Sonic versus Knuckles? This would be interesting...

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

It only took me a quick one-minute jog to get to Silver Valley from Chris' house. As I had been to Silver Valley once before in one of my runs, I knew the quickest way there. I had to see why Knuckles thought he was right about the Chaos Emeralds. The whole thing stunk of Eggman. But I knew I had to settle things with Rad Red first.

Sure enough, Knuckles was standing on top of a plateau, arms crossed, with an impatient expression. He opened his eyes.

"You're late."

"Heh, what are you talking about?" I smirked. "I still had twelve seconds to spare!" I could easily tell Knux's internal clock is a little off.

"None of that matters, Sonic," he growled. "What matters is that the Emerald is controlling _you_." He jabbed his finger in my chest for emphasis.

"Whoa, easy, Knux! That's why I'm here."

But Knuckles was not impressed. "I know the truth. The truth... is that instead of your emotions influencing the power of the Chaos Emeralds, _they_ are actually influencing _your_ emotions! This is all on account of the lack of the Master Emerald's guiding presence."

I smirked, amused at what could be a ball-faced lie. "You sure you didn't black out too hard after we got sent here?"

"Oh, speaking of getting sent here..." Knuckles started to get carried away in his rising anger, "... _you_ are partially responsible for us getting us sent here! If you didn't let Eggman take those Emeralds from you, none of this would have happened!"

Not entirely true, Knuckles...

"Now, are you going to hand over the Emerald and prevent future insanity?"

"Sorry, I left it at home," I answered. It was the truth, after all.

Knuckles gritted his teeth. "So help me, I will march over there and get it myself if I have to." I wasn;t about to let that happen. Time to bring up my suspicion of what happened to Knuckles.

"I bet Eggman tricked you again, didn't he?"

"Shut up and fight me, Sonic!" barked the echidna as he clenched his fists.

"If that's the way it's gonna be..." I didn't want to fight Knuckles, as he's my friendly rival, but he's a rival nonetheless. If Eggman was really behind this, and I was sure of it, then I had to tire Knuckles out and hopefully get him to know the truth.

I allowed Knuckles to throw the first punch. Sure enough, it came, and I quickly sidestepped the spiked fist that flew my way. He kept coming at me with more punches where that one came from, but I leaped from rock to rock dodging Knuckles. He even let loose with a flurry of jabs and punches, but there's just no stopping me from staying one step ahead of the wild deluded echidna.

"While I love a good wrestling match with ya, Knux, this whole Chaos Emerald thing you told me is just plain crazy," I told him while backflipping out of the way of another quick jab which cut through a rock like a warm knife through butter... or is a knife through _warm_ butter? I can never get those two straight.

"I _live_ with the Emeralds. I know them better than you _ever_ will!"

Another charge, another leap out of the way. This game is gonna get boring sometime soon...

"Oh yeah? Every try going super for once?"

"I don't need to!" he retorted.

I figured it was time to finally land a hit of my own. I attempted a spindash at Knuckles, but he leaped out of the way and attempted to give me another Knuckles sandwich. I still have no idea why he coined that phrase, but whatever. Anyway, he missed that attack and his next few punches and kicks as well.

As I continued to parry his attacks, I noticed something seemed off about him. It was almost as if... he didn't want to fight me. If Eggman was tricking him, and I think this was the case, them maybe he felt as if he had no other choice. He _is_ gullible, after all. So I decided to take off toward the nearby cliff and see if there really was a difference in his actions.

"Get back here!" yelled Knuckles as he ran up the hill after me. I leaped to one of the top boughs of a pine tree and looked down at my rival. He still fought and ran the same, but not as much as he would if he were fighting a true enemy. Could it be brainwashing? I quickly ruled that out, as Eggman finds tricking him better than brainwashing. Knuckles is that gullible.

At the same time, he's been learning from his mistakes, so he hasn't been tricked as much as before. In fact, this is the first time he's been tricked since... four months ago? ...Okay, there was also that one time the day before we were sent here. Guess he still has much to learn.

Before I knew it Knuckles was uprooting the entire tree I was standing on.

"You've been flexing your muscles, Knux," I complimented/teased.

Knuckles, however, was not so impressed. "You should be glad I don't have my shovel claws on me. Otherwise, this would be a painful lesson."

I felt the tree falling, so I decided it was time to abandon ship, er, tree. I landed on the ground and faced Knuckles.

"Hey, I thought you were trying to save me," I recalled.

"I _am_ saving you! You just won't listen to me!"

I glanced up just in time to see the tree falling toward me. Using a stationary spin, I sliced through the bark as it passed around me, so I didn't have to take a step in order to avoid it.

"You're just showing off, aren't you," Knuckles deadpanned.

I winked. "I aim to please."

"Now listen!" he demanded as I ran off. He punched down tree after tree in just two blows. I was glad none of them were redwoods.

"Without the Master Emerald here to keep the Chaos Emeralds under control, the more of them you collect, the further you will descend into insanity! Is this what you want?!"

I dodged more of the falling timber. Knuckles could at least yell "Timber!" before punching these trees down. I just hoped there would still be trees left before the day was done.

"You know, that _could_ be valid," I stated, "but I don't really feel any negative effects."

"Of course you don't!" Knuckles roared as I ran out onto a fallen tree dangling precariously over the cliff. "You think I'm telling you this just for kicks? If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even realize you were becoming insane!"

I realized where I was standing on the tree, and attempted to run back to safety when another falling tree landed on my tree behind me. This caused me to be suddenly catapulted into the air and over the edge of the cliff. I spotted Knuckles leaping from tree to tree to get ahead of me, probably trying to cut me off and deal me a unexpected hit.

I saw the sloped ground coming at me fast, and I curled into a ball, ready to roll down the hill. I hit the ground rolling, and I felt myself make impact with Knuckles' hands. My momentum pushed him back against the ground.

"You know, one sign of insanity is denying you even have it," he admonished. I wasn't in a position to answer, as I was spinning so fast.

One thing I didn't take into account was the fact that there was a brook at the bottom of the hill. To make things worse, Knuckles leaped out of the way, causing me to land right into the water. It wasn't deep, but enough to make my fears set in.

"Someone help me! I'm drowning! I can't end like this!"

Knuckles responded by facepalming. When will I ever grow up...

"Mr. Sonic!"

I recognized that voice immediately. That was Cream calling me. Turning my head to the left, I saw that, sure enough, the young rabbit was running up to me, tears flowing from her eyes. My heart immediately melted for her. I need to find out what was wrong.

"Mr. Sonic, Mr. Knuckles, please stop fighting!" she begged as she helped me out of the water. With the late summer heat, I hoped I would dry off quickly. "Dr. Eggman trapped our friends inside a giant robot!"

Eggman attacked my friends on my watch? I could have been there to protect them.

"Good on him for protecting them from you!" shouted Knuckles. That was uncalled for, though. I don't think he really meant it. Maybe he was getting carried away with the lie Eggman told him.

"Thanks, Cream," I thanked grimly and took off.

I had seriously let my guard down. I had let my own selfish purposes get ahead of me. Even if I was winded from a brief skirmish with Eggman's robots last night, that should not have prevented me from going on a Chaos Emerald mission.

I knew Eggman was here for the Chaos Emerald, but he imprisoned Chris, Amy, and Tails as well. They're just kids! If Eggman got them, this made me wonder how Cream managed to avoid capture. I would have to ask her later.

I was still kicking myself for not coming here. I should never have left the fate of a Chaos Emerald up to chance. Because of me, it could be in the hands of Dr. Robotnik, and if he has all seven, we might never get home. I strengthened my resolve and picked up the pace. Robotnik must be stopped at all costs.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

 **WARNING BEGINS HERE.**

Sonic and Knuckles' fight took them to the other side of the hill where I couldn't see them anymore. But there were a couple times where we could briefly see Sonic. He never looked our way, though.

Why did they have to fight now? Didn't either one of them know we were in danger? I knew that escape was impossible if what Eggman, Amy, and Tails said was true. So I thought that maybe it would be possible to get the attention of one of them.

"Guys, think we can call Sonic or Knuckles?" I quietly asked. I hated having to whisper, but the heavy reverberation of even the slightest sound in this chamber was really creeping me out.

"You can't," Eggman answered matter-of-factly. My eyes widened. "No one outside can hear you," he continued. "Citadel glass is made of the strongest alloy I have ever created, which means it is completely soundproof. No one outside can hear you, and no one outside can communicate to you."

My heart sank. But I had another important question for the doctor.

"Then how can we hear you?"

"Oh, that's because I have a two-way radio installed within the robot, and I've got this microphone as well." He motioned to the device in his hand. "But no one else can hear you, so you may as well abandon hope."

I slumped down, dejected. If Sonic or Knuckles couldn't hear us, there was no point in having him come rescue us. The only way one of the could find out about our situation was if they could somehow break up the fight. And I wondered: what started the fight? It had to have been something major enough to pit them against each other. Sonic _did_ say that Knuckles was his rival. But why fight now?

I stood up to see if I could spot any of the two fighting Mobians. Nothing. Nothing at all. Though I did spot a few fallen trees here and there, probably from their fight.

"Chris, Amy," Tails whispered. I turned to the fox as Amy walked over from the part of the window she looking out. "See if you can spot that radio Eggman mentioned."

"I heard that."

I did not count on Eggman still listening in on our conversation, let alone being able to hear something above a barely audible whisper. He pressed a button on his remote, and the three of us were suddenly electrocuted by the Citadel's floor underneath us. It was not a pleasant situation, but it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. Imagine accidentally touching a plugged-in electrical wire. Now imagine that same tingling sensation a little stronger and spreading across your entire body. I cried out, more in surprise than pain.

It only lasted for a full two seconds, but it wore me out quickly and momentarily numbed every voluntary muscle in my body. I staggered and slumped to my hands and knees.

"Chris!" Tails and Amy simultaneously called. They both ran over and, taking one arm each, tried to help me stand back up. They seemed a little weakened by the electrocution, but I took the brunt of it because humans aren't as durable as Mobians.

"That's what will happen if you attempt an escape or do anything else I disapprove of. You know I hate torture, but sometimes it is necessary to make you behave."

"Just... let us go," Tails responded, sounding more exasperated than before, as I finished standing up.

"You know, you should be lucky I don't yet have a Roboticizer at my base," Eggman continued, completely ignoring Tails. "I've never roboticized a non-Overlander human before, let alone one from this planet. There's a first time for everything, I suppose!"

Robotnik was sick. Not only did he have the nerve to soft-core torture us (even though he admits he hates it), but he planned to roboticize us. I had no idea what roboticization was, but judging by what Amy said about the Citadel, I assumed he wanted to turn us into robots. I couldn't imagine having no life besides that of serving Eggman forever. I couldn't bring myself to call him Eggman anymore. It sounded silly, yet fitting for him. So I settled for Robotnik.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tails head to the part of the Citadel that Eggman couldn't see and examine the steel outer shell of the mainframe. Amy, on the other hand, had an idea of her own.

"Hey, is Sonic winning over there?" she asked no one in particular, pointing to the tree line. Immediately Eggman turned around and scanned the trees for Sonic. I inwardly congratulated Amy. It looked like she just bought Tails some time so he could scan the robot's inner workings. Tails also saw this, and, pulling out a screwdriver from seemingly nowhere, began probing the side of the mainframe for a certain maintenance panel.

I opened my mouth to say something, but Amy put a finger to her lips and jerked her thumb toward Eggman, signalling he can hear us. Instead, she walked over to me and whispered "Find the radio" before scanning the chamber we were in. I nodded.

Throwing another glance in Eggman's direction, I was mildly surprised to see that the doctor did not notice what we were doing. Instead, he was still searching for Sonic and Knuckles. As long as he was distracted, we had time to attempt an escape.

I too began searching the mainframe for anything that looked remotely like a radio. If it was even located on the mainframe, its output sounded like it was coming from seemingly nowhere. I don't know how Eggman did it, but I decided not to question it.

I had no idea what the microphone/speaker combo looked like, so I could be mistaken about what it looked like. There were screws and bolts everywhere, maybe covering every square inch of the mainframe. I knew I had to find it and get out of here; I was getting spooked by even the sound of my sneakers quietly padding along the metal ground echoing off the walls maybe a few dozen times.

At last, I spotted something that looked like a radio. It was black in color and about half an inch in diameter. I waved Amy over and motioned to it for confirmation. She nodded before walking up to it, a malicious grin on her face. What was she up to?

"Thanks for letting us distract you, Eggman!" she shouted into the microphone before pulling out her gigantic hammer again. (I had to know more about this phenomenon.) She slammed it into the part of the mainframe where the microphone was, lightly denting the mainframe, but also destroying the microphone. Fortunately, this was not the part of the mainframe Tails was working on.

But the sudden sound of the hammer's impact with the metal created a near-deafening clang that startles all of us, even Amy. My hands flew to my ears, and it must have taken fifteen seconds for the sound to finally die down. On the bright side, we were rewarded with seeing Eggman visibly cringe outside, maybe even crying out at the sudden feedback coming from the headset he was wearing, as he ripped it off of his head. I could have laughed if the situation weren't so grim, but I cracked a smile at his misfortune nonetheless.

"Did you get it?" Tails asked once the echo mostly died down. Amy nodded.

"The connection's broken, so Eggman can't hear us anymore. Now we can talk freely. How's the progress going, Tails?"

"I'm halfway done unscrewing this panel," he reported. "These things are held together by eight screws each. That's why it's taking so long."

I asked the question of the day. "Tails, where did you get your screwdriver? I know you don't have pockets, so did you somehow pull it out of your back like they do in the cartoons?"

Tails blushed a little. "Yeah, something like that..."

"Well... that might explain your hammer, Amy. It still scares me, by the way..." I added as an afterthought.

"Oh, you should see me when I'm really cooking against some Badniks," Amy responded.

"After what I saw, I'm just glad to be on your good side," I said, shivering slightly at the thought.

"You don't have to be nervous, Chris," Amy reassured with a smile. "I promise I'll never use my hammer on my friends."

"Thanks," I quietly responded. Just then we heard the sound of a metal plate clattering on the ground.

"Got it!" announced Tails as he pulled a pair of scissors from his namesakes. I have no idea how he does it, but I decided not going to question it any further. "Now to find the primary power wire..." Tails mumbled to himself as he probed around inside the mess of machinery.

My eyes drifted over to Eggman, and I almost wished I didn't see him. He was looking right back at us. He was floating maybe fifty feet away now, but he was close enough for me to tell that he wasn't happy. He was holding his remote in a menacing manner.

"Guys, Eggman found out," I said worriedly. Amy turned to see Eggman as well, and began to panic.

"Tails, hurry!" she shrieked. "He's going to shock us again!"

This quickened Tails' pace. "I've almost got it!" the fox assured us as his eyes rested on two wires.

I braced myself for more pain. And it came. I cried out as the electricity coursed through me, even though it didn't hurt as much as it did the first time because this time I was ready for it.

At the exact time, Tails was startled by the suddenness of the shock treatment. While he was able to fly to avoid it, he had accidentally cut a wire with his scissors.

The wrong wire.

Now if movies taught me anything, its that cutting the wrong wire can result in explosive consequences. This was the case here. Part of the mainframe exploded, the debris missing us by inches, and blew out part of the outside glass. I had thought that the glass was indestructible. Guess I'm wrong.

The noise was near-deafening, but at least now I didn't have to worry about the echoing thing as much anymore. It was greatly diminished compared to before.

However, with explosions come smoke. And smoke was pouring out the hole, some of it even filling the chamber we were in despite the fresh air outside. Tails ran around the other side of the Citadel to join Amy and me, coughing on the smoke as he did.

"Maybe we can escape!" he said hopefully. He tried to fly through the hole, but was met with a pink force field that suddenly appeared to block his way. He fell backward and landed on the floor near the mainframe.

"I forgot about the force field..." he moaned, rubbing his sore muzzle.

"Did you really think I wouldn't think everything out?" Eggman cackled. "There is no escaping for any of you, no matter how hard you try!"

I began to wonder if Eggman was right. I got down on my stomach to try to avoid the ever-growing cloud of smoke. Amy and Tails got the drift and did the same. I was feeling dizzy from the electricity and the smoke, and I knew that Amy and Tails were starting to feel the same way.

"If you're bored, you can always watch Sonic and Knuckles kill each other," suggested Eggman. I would rather not have two friends or friendly rivals go that far. As my fear levels skyrocketed, I only wished they would come and rescue us instead.

 **WARNING ENDS HERE.**

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

I ran around Silver Valley, trying to find Eggman and his robot, but there was no sign of him anywhere. Why did this park have to be so huge? I mean, if Eggman's here, surely he should be easy to find, right?

Just then the sound of an explosion filled the air. My resolve tightened, and I desperately hoped that my friends weren't involved. I knew for sure that Eggman was behind that explosion.

I raced through the forest, panic welling up in my head. Four seconds later, I reached a clearing, which gave way to a giant lake, and immediately stopped in my tracks and gasped when I saw the robot Eggman was using.

It was an Egg Citadel, one of the most feared prison robots in Eggman's arsenal. I remember back in the war, about three of them were in this one village, and they captured nearly every single civilian in the village. They used these lasers to draw them in front of them, and their shovel arms to scoop up the prisoners and dump them inside their chambers. They were also built for travelling in deep space, as they were designed to fly the prisoners up to the Death Egg to be roboticized. Unfortunately, some of them were roboticized. I almost didn't make it in time that fateful day.

I knew the Citadels also had a shock administration module built into them to stop unruly prisoners. I bolted down the hill toward the Citadel. Eggman _better_ have not shocked my friends...

A couple other things I noticed about the Citadel was the smoke pouring from the mainframe through a hole blown in the glass; and Tails, Amy, and Chris calling to me, coughing on the smoke every now and then. They appeared to be low to the ground, probably trying not to choke too much.

How did that happen? I know that Citadel units are extremely durable and resilient to most attacks. I wondered if Tails did something to cause the mainframe to explode. But with all the smoke in there, it had to be mondo unhealthy inside.

"I'm coming!" I called as I attempted to launch myself through the hole in the Citadel's glass. But I bounced off a force field that appeared and landed on my feet on the grass nearby. Okay, so the force field was new...

Just then Eggman noticed me.

"So you finally found out my real intention, Sonic," he said.

"Yeah, but too bad I'm gonna ruin it for ya!" I retorted as I aimed myself at the Citadel's legs. It was over the water, which might have made things a little difficult. My first spin out over the water struck one of the legs squarely, and I landed back on the shore. One more leg and I can get it to topple over and hopefully free my friends. This was a trick I learned back in the war.

I immediately shot myself at the second leg, shearing it off as I landed back on the shore once more. That's when I began wondering if I would regret my decision. As the Citadel toppled forward toward the shore, I could easily have injured my friends. It landed in such a way that the ground covered the hole in the glass. Now I had to find a way to disable the force fields. This time around, we didn't have anything to overload them with.

"I've been expecting you," Eggman flew closer in his Eggmobile.

"Of course you were," I responded cockily. "Your messenger robot told me Knuckles would be here. I figured you weren't too far behind."

"And you would be right," Eggman continued. "I hope you haven't forgotten the full potential of my modified E-47 Egg Citadel!"

"How could I forget..." I mumbled as the Citadel began to move. Obviously Chris had no idea what Citadels were and what they could do, while Amy and Tails dealt with them before and knew what to expect. But I pitied Chris, as he was trapped inside one of Eggman's scariest robots. To think that I previously thought all of them were destroyed...

The Citadel continued to move. Using its shovel arms as spare legs, it slowly stood back up, throwing its prisoners to the ceiling which was now the floor. I just hoped there were no injuries besides bruises. Additionally, the twelve laser cannons placed all around the outside of the robots began to activate. The closest three aimed at me and fired. The show was on.

I ran backward in an attempt to dodge the already-thick laser fire. I must have forgotten just how powerful these guns were, or never saw them in action, for they completely fried a nearby rock. I mean, the whole thing was gone, just like that. Not only that, but this Citadel had near-deadly accuracy, as some of the lasers were even landing just in front of me, as if predicting where I would go. I was forced to bob and weave through the thick storm in order to survive this ordeal.

I ran to the other side of a small hill, where the Citadel couldn't quite detect me, and paused to catch my breath. This version of the Egg Citadel was _really_ upgraded since my last encounter with its type. I had to think of a strategy to defeat this thing. This time, we didn't have the help of the entire Resistance.

This time, it was just me, myself, and... Knuckles?

Yup, Knuckles was still with us. He was approaching me, not in a menacing manner, but instead concerned at the new developments.

"What are you doing, Sonic?" he asked tensely.

"Trying to think of a way to take down that thing," I told him. "Hey, you're not trying to fight me anymore," I noted as an afterthought.

Knuckles gritted his teeth. "There's no time for that," he said. "Not when Eggman's here. Why does he still have a Citadel at his disposal? And what's his plan?"

"From what I made out, he tricked you and used you as a distraction to keep me away from him. Meanwhile, he brought out his Citadel and baited Tails, Amy, Cream, and Chris with false news of a Chaos Emerald to lure them into a trap. Somehow Cream wasn't captured, which is good news. Is she safe?"

A laser thudded into the hill near us, and I knew we had to move soon.

"Yeah," Knuckles jerked his thumb toward the forest behind us. "She's in the forest. You should probably get her back to wherever she's staying at."

"I will," I promised. Suddenly a few dozen Buzz Bombers flew out of the bushes and began circling the area around the lake, searching for us.

"What about them?" Knuckles asked.

"First priority is to get Tails, Amy, and Chris out of there. But for now, take care of the Buzz Bombers. I'll be back in a Sonic second to help!" And with that, I took off through the forest.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Knuckles watched Sonic go, knowing he was usually true to his word when he said he would be back. But for now, he was up against a nightmare of the past and about thirty Buzz Bombers at his estimation. Nothing he couldn't handle, though.

He punched one of the bee robots into the ground, and another into a third and fourth. Then he became aware of a whizzing sound behind him. Turning around, he saw about fifteen Motobugs zooming out of the forest. He was caught off guard by their sudden close proximity. His fists flew as he engaged the new arrivals.

"I may not have a Roboticizer yet, but I still have a prison at my base - and there's plenty of room there for more!" exclaimed Eggman. Knuckles turned on him while still fighting the Badniks.

"You tricked me," he said darkly.

Eggman chuckled. "Took you long enough to figure it out."

Knuckles thought he had gotten over being tricked - well, if you didn't count that one time shortly before being sent to Earth. Then again, Eggman didn't have much opportunity to deceive him.

"I'll make sure that never happens again, Eggman," Knuckles growled.

Suddenly the sound of rocket thrusters could be heard as the Citadel began to rotate. It righted itself, throwing its occupants to the real floor once more. Eggman grinned.

"Don't count on it."

The sound of the rocket engines got louder as the Citadel slowly lifted into the air. Smoke was still pouring from it, but at a much slower rate. Its occupants cried out in utter fear, and Knuckles knew he had to act fast if he wanted to rescue them in time. He ran toward the ascending Citadel, but several of the Motobugs cut him off. It seemed as though the more he punched and kicked them, the more came. By now the Citadel was flying over the lake and getting higher and higher.

"You're not going anywhere..." muttered Knuckles under his breath.

Adrenalin coursed through his veins as he came up with a way to keep up with the rapidly escaping Citadel. He leaped out from among the congregating Badniks, scaled a tree in record time, and carefully but quickly leaped from tree to tree around the perimeter of the lake. It didn't seem efficient, but it was certainly faster than running around the lake.

He threw another glance at the Citadel. Its upward velocity wasn't very high, but it was still a good forty feet above the ground and moving quickly forward. Knuckles was starting to run out of trees to vault. After a few more tense seconds, he was finally close enough to the Citadel to be able to attack it. He took a giant leap off the tree branch and aimed his fist at one of the engines with satisfying results.

One of the quad engines shattered, completely disabling it. The Citadel started to plummet, causing more panic from within. However, it instantly flipped back over and used its shovel limbs as its spare legs once again. By now Knuckles had lost count how many times those within had been thrown around, but it was too many for anyone.

As soon as it landed on the ground, it opened fire on Knuckles with its heavy laser cannons. Knuckles was forced backward by these lasers. He knew that as long as they kept firing, he couldn't make any forward progress.

Then the Citadel did something Knuckles never remembered it doing before.

It emitted a shock wave that traveled along the ground. It was about a foot tall, and moved around the speed of an average running human. Knuckles was surprised by this turn of events, but managed to jump over the shock wave in time, only to be shot at again.

Suddenly Sonic showed up and carried Knuckles out of the way of the thick laser storm. Knuckles wasn't overly startled because he saw Sonic coming. He set him down about a hundred yards away from the robot.

"Just took care of the other Badniks you missed," he reported. "Was that a shock wave I saw just now?"

"I wish it wasn't," Knuckles replied. "This thing is way tougher than the ones we faced in the war."

"Yeah. I don't remember the older models having force fields. Okay, first priority is to demobilize that thing. Go for the legs."

"That's what I've been trying since I grounded it."

"Well, two heads are better than one, so let's show Eggman what we're made of!" Sonic rallied.

"Let's do this," agreed Knuckles as both Mobians charged toward the Citadel.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

Yesterday was nothing compared to today. I've been through earthquakes, but the turbulence and otherwise being flipped around and thrown about inside the robot made them seem less scary. In short, this was hands-down the most terrifying time I've ever had in my life. So much in fact, that it brought me to tears. I wanted out so badly, and I could tell that Tails, and Amy were almost equally as frightened.

From the moment we lifted off the ground, I knew Eggman was going to fly us all the way to his base. I had never been there, nor would I ever want to go there. Fortunately, Knuckles had destroyed one of the Citadel's engines, causing us to be thrown around yet again. Why was this happening to us?!

Needless to say, all three of us were sporting several bruises and a few cuts from the broken glass, plus we still had some smoke inside. How come the smoke could escape the chamber but not us?

Now that our chamber had been flipped for the third time, Tails carefully stood up and looked out the window.

"We're gonna take another hit one more time," he warned us. I really hoped that Sonic and Knuckles only needed the one hit to get us out.

Suddenly there was a massive jolt as the Citadel was struck hard by the combined force of Sonic and Knuckles. They must have done a number on the legs, for I could feel the entire robot toppling backward. I wasn't quite expecting it to fall backward instead of forward, and I fell backward with the robot's motion. I hit my head, though lightly, as I had thrown my arms behind me to take the rest of the fall. The wind was knocked out of me as I landed. My eyes darted around the chamber, looking for the hole. At last I spotted it close to the ground. It was large enough for us to squeeze through. Only thing was, I felt very weak from a combination of the smoke and being thrown around too much.

Amy slowly made a move for the opening, choking on the smoke.

"Wait," Tails held up a hand. "I need to check if the force field is still there."

Amy nodded as Tails inched toward the opening. Amid all the terror going on, I had almost forgotten about the force field. The fox held up a hand to the opening, and was able to reach outside. He turned back to us, smiling.

"Shield's down!" he announced with a thumbs-up.

I attempted to crawl toward the exit, but my weak and injured state only allowed me to move so far and so fast.

"He needs help," Amy told Tails. The latter nodded.

As Tails and Amy approached to help me escape, Sonic leaped through the opening. "It's like a sauna in here..." he mumbled to himself before turning to us. He ran over and scooped me up first before carrying me out the hole and into open daylight and fresh air... finally. With the adrenalin starting to wear off, I couldn't help but cry after the whole ordeal.

"Hey, are you okay?" Sonic asked tensely but gently.

"N-no," I admitted. Sonic gently patted my back.

"I'm sorry Eggman did this to you, Chris," he sympathized. "I'm going to get you home as soon as soon as this robot is good and gone."

I nodded. Sonic set me down and ran over to help Amy and Tails out of the smoking robot, even though they were on their way out. Tails was visibly shaken up, and a teary Amy embraced Sonic for comfort.

"It's okay, Amy," he spoke in a soothing voice. "It's all over."

"Oh, you pathetic fools!" Eggman cackled from above. "If only you knew the half of it!"

"Guys, it's still active," Knuckles warned as the Citadel began to stir. Its rockets began to activate once more. I had to admit, the engines sounded louder outside than they did inside.

"Everyone away, now!" ordered Sonic. Tails, Amy, and I quickly decided on a direction and ran as fast as we could. I was in no condition to run on my own, so Tails and Amy each took one of my hands and guided me.

I heard a sudden whooshing sound behind me. Chancing a look behind me, I saw the Citadel firing missiles at Sonic and Knuckles. These missiles were a lot smaller than what I would expect them to look like. They exploded on impact with the ground, completely missing the two heroes.

"Get the others to safety! I've got a plan to destroy this Citadel!" shouted Knuckles.

"Go for it!" answered Sonic before rushing over to us. "Behind this rock, quick," he instructed as he guided us over to a nearby large rock. Thanks to Sonic's quick thinking, we were now safe behind rock, for a missile exploded where we had been about ten seconds ago. My ears rang from the blast.

"You know," Tails started, "I've seen the Citadels and what they can do... but I've never thought I'd be unlucky enough to find myself inside one."

"Tails... are you sure it really is the last one?" I asked, voice shaky.

"I thought I was sure... but after today... I really don't know."

Just then we heard a sickening crunch, followed by another and another. The four of us looked up to Knuckles destroying the blasters one by one.

"Aren't you going to join him?" Amy asked.

"I would, but the safety of my friends comes first," he responded. If I liked Sonic before, then I liked him even more now. He was the kind of guy who would put the safety of others above his own. We need more of those people in this world.

We watched as Knuckles took a giant leap off of the Citadel toward Eggman. "You'll never trick me again, Eggman!" he roared before kicking Eggman's hovercraft far away. The doctor screamed aloud as his hovercraft sailed out of sight.

Landing back atop the Citadel, Knuckles took a few deep breaths before leaping into the air and pounding the top of the robot with both hands, causing a giant crack to run down the side of the entire robot. It was just like watching Kirby's Megaton Punch in real life. The Citadel exploded violently without warning, and we had to cover our ears because of the near-deafening noise. Shrapnel flew everywhere, miraculously missing us due to our location.

"Stay down and hold on tight," he shouted over the noise. We did as we were told, as the explosion's shock wave hit us with tremendous force. Tails was nearly blown away, but Amy grabbed onto his hand to prevent that.

A few moments later, everything finally died down. There was still some smoke from the robot's explosion, and I was sure Tails, Amy, and I smelled of smoke. We would need to shower later.

"Is it safe?" I asked. Sonic stood up and looked around, a grim expression on his face.

"It is now," he reported.

I took a moment before standing up. Did I want to look? Was it that bad? I stood up and looked across the valley and the lake. What was once a beautiful sanctuary with a beautiful lake was now scattered with debris and shrapnel. It was a total war zone. I knew this was a harsh reminder that life with Sonic wasn't all sunshine and lollipops. It still beat my old life. Look at me, calling today a new life entirely. Maybe it was.

"Where's Cream? Is she okay?" Amy asked, almost frantic.

"I got her home safely," Sonic responded. "In fact, she's the one who told me about your being captured in the first place." There was a pause. "Is it true that he tricked you into coming here just so he could capture you three?" he asked incredulously.

Amy nodded. "He also wanted to roboticize us," she replied.

Sonic was both sympathetic and grim. "That was a low blow to trap people as young as you are inside a robot as scary and fearsome as the Citadel."

"I agree," came Knuckles' voice as the echidna approached.

"Gotta say, Knux, that final hit was way past cool," he complimented.

"Thanks," he replied quietly. "I just did a check of the area. There are _definitely_ no Chaos Emeralds here."

"We figured that out when Eggman told us himself," Sonic said. "Hey, are you sure you don't want to come back with us?"

"Nah, I'm good," Knuckles waved his hand. "And hey, sorry about earlier. I guess I was getting way too into that act Eggman set up for me."

"All's forgiven," Sonic said, that cocky smirk returning to his features.

"Oh, Knuckles?" piped up Amy. "Let us know if you find any Chaos Emeralds! The faster we find them, the sooner we can get back to Mobius!"

"Will do," promised Knuckles. "You take care now. I gotta go." With that, he hurried off into the forest.

There was silence for a moment afterward.

"I should probably check to see if the Tornado's okay," Tails announced as he turned to head in the direction his plane was parked in.

"I'll go with you," Amy added. "See you two back at the mansion.

With that, she and Tails left, leaving just me and Sonic standing there. Sonic wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"It's been a rough day for you, hasn't it, buddy?" he said softly. I nodded.

"Did he electrocute you when you were in that thing?" he asked tensely.

I nodded again. Sonic gritted his teeth.

"I can't believe Eggman did this to you, Chris. I mean, you're just a kid. One of these days... I'm going to pay him back in double for what he did today. But first, I'm going to make sure to clean up this place."

"Sonic," I asked, strangely nervous at what I was about to say. "Cloud you please... protect me from Dr. Eggman?"

Sonic smiled. "By all means. He wouldn't dare hurt you when I'm around. Now, are you okay with me carrying you home?"

I nodded, and he carefully picked me up. He was quite strong despite his size.

"Okay, hold on tight!" he said before taking off at an incredible speed.

I had not felt such speed since... well, ever. I had ridden in Sam Speed's car a couple times, but it was nothing like this. It was a strangely wonderful feeling. I closed my eyes against the strong wind that buffeted me as Sonic ran. To think that I was able to befriend him...

Thinking back to the night I rescued him from the pool, I would never have thought a day like today would have occurred. It has started out so well, and then it fell apart so quickly, all because of Dr. Robotnik. Amy and Tails had said that this Citadel was one of Eggman's most nightmarish robots, and that it might not be the only one out there. But I felt really relieved when it was finally destroyed.

The more I thought about it, the more Dr. Robotnik scared me. His goal to conquer the world and turn it into his Eggman Empire felt more real now. Today I was directly involved. But why me...?

Fortunately, I had a friend - a friend who was willing to stand in Dr. Eggman's way of world domination. A friend who was willing to put his friends first before his own needs. He is Sonic the Hedgehog, and he will never give up on freedom.

* * *

 **A/N:** Kids, there's nothing better than getting hit in the feels with a fluff scene at the end of every chapter, but when someone tries to reference a fanfiction he's never written before, that's nooo good!

...Or is it?

Anyway, congratulations for toughing it out this chapter. And yes, I did reference a fanfiction I may or may not write. All those Citadel references in the war - that sounds like something that should be in it. For the curious, my fanfiction idea is a Sonic Forces episodic rewrite written in the style of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, with characters from Archie, Underground, SatAM - even IDW! Let me know what you think if this idea, and if you have "episode" suggestions, feel free to PM me your ideas with the prefix _[Forces]_! Depending on support, I may actually start it soon!

Anyway, some of the major changes:

 _-Compeletely revamped the scenes at Thorndyke Mansion at the beginning.  
-Added trauma to the Citadel scene. Why wouldn't there be?  
-Renamed Pumpty to Citadel.  
-Badniks!  
-More Sonic and Knuckles dynamics!  
-Made the Citadel way more powerful, and gave it a legacy.  
-Added Cream to the episode. I deducted it was impossible not to have her._

Also, parts of this chapter, including Knuckles recording his message, were inspired by Awdures's story _Cracks_. It's in my Follows list, but it shouldn't be there because it's a complete story.

Anyway, that's it for this chapter! By the way, I am still looking for a beta reader, so if you are a beta reader, let me know and we can work things out so we can make this rewrite the best one out there! Also, I'm open for beta reading, so if you have a project that needs my services, let me know.

If anyone is OOC, or if there is anything that needs attention, like an incorrect detail, let me know. Anything and everything helps.

Next time: "Techno-Teacher"! This one was a pain to write, especially since I had to atone for timing of events in the chapter. Hopefully you'll like it nonetheless. (Who am I kidding, I know you will! :D )

Until next time, everybody, do the THICC Sonic! You know, the one from the poster!

Nightmare thought: Sonic Movie or OVA dubbed by 4Kids. Let's just pretend I never typed that...


	6. Chris' Family

_Chris' Teacher is a Robot!? The Enterpreneurs Return at Last!_

 ** ** ** **Note (2/15/20): In a few months, this chapter will be updated to reflect my current writing style, as well as fix some errors.********

 **A/N:** Anyone else saw the Sonic movie trailer? No? Well, good. Best to keep your eyes pure, right?

But seriously, I actually kinda liked the trailer. It's a separate universe, I can understand that. Ben Schwartz as Sonic was different that what I was expecting. His voice sounds more adult than the Sonic I know. For the record, my favorite Sonic voices are Jason Griffith and Roger Craig Smith. I've never really heard the Ryan Drummond version, though. Also, I actually like Jim Carrey as Robotnik. Maybe I'll throw a movie reference or two in the story somewhere...

I joined a fanfiction Discord server and promoted this story, earning me a favorite or two, as well as three reviews! I was also amazed to see Leodragon678 there. Check out his story "Subject 4261" if you have time.

There's this one bug in the FFN docs editor that makes null the space button when typing in forced-space paragraphs. It jams all the words in the third paragraph and onward. I can go back and correct it, though. Here's an example.

"This is a test line"  
"This is a test line"  
"Thisisatestline"

See what I mean? I hope it gets fixed soon; it's kinda annoying.

About the story, this was a difficult episode to rewrite. More on that in the post-chapter author's notes. Some of the other difficult episode I perceive in the future are:

 **Unfair Ball** \- Not bad to write, but difficult to extend.  
 **That's What Friends Are For** \- I like the Sonic and Helen parts, but Jerome Wise has got to go. He is so childish in this episode.  
 **The Dam Scam** \- There's got to be a real purpose behind that so-called "dam"...  
 **How to Catch a Hedgehog** \- Yeah, the last plan to stop Sonic was way too loony.  
 **The Entire Shadow Saga** \- Can't explain why for reasons that will spoil future parts of the story.  
 **A Date to Forget** \- Amy is not Tsundere here.  
 **Sewer Search** \- Immaturity at its finest.  
 **Galactic Gumshoes** \- We need more filler material.  
 **Mission: Match Up** \- Nope, no embarrassing Chaotix here. Also, I want to add an all-new side story here.  
 **The Planet of Misfortune** \- Amy is not Tsundere here. Also, maybe some more filler material.  
 **The Light in the Darkness / A Fearless Friend** \- We need more filler material. Also, the Cosmo's death scene... The feels! ;(  
 **So Long Sonic** \- This episode is getting gutted for reasons I can't explain now.

If you have any ideas for these episodes or any other episodes, shoot them my way in the reviews or PMs!

Backlog update: I have the plots written through Chapter 8 (Satellite Swindle), the extended synopses through Chapter 11, (Fly Spy), as well as plots for the Chaos Saga through Episode 30 (Heads Up, Tails!). Total side note: The Chaos Saga is really different than the original one in a good way. I can't wait for us to get there.

 **WARNING!** Carry on reading, or you will be roboticized, even if you only looked at the word "warning"!

In all seriousness, even though the content I am warning about is significantly less warn-worthy than the last chapter, there will be a little blood near the end of the chapter. But only a little. To make up for it, prepare to _get hit in the feels!_

One last note: E-51 Intelligente is being renamed E-51 Drill Sergeant.

Anyway, let's get on the reviews and what matters most: the story!

* * *

 _ **GuardianDragon98**_

 _Ah so Knuckles still falls for Eggman's tricks. I have to admit though, the Doctor's way of manipulating him was a lot more cunning - pulling out that false theory of the Chaos Emeralds having a negative effect on Mobians... clever ploy Eggman, very clever._

 _I love Sonic's protective side here. I hope we get to see more of it in future chapters. As for your response to my review, thanks :) Now I'm wondering if you're going to make any references to Sonic's imprisonment during Forces in future chapters. Like will there be flashbacks in Sonic's POV, offering a glimpse into those negative emotions he keeps behind a mask of cheerfulness?_

 **Yeah, I wasn't going to just settle for a crybaby Eggman. Knuckles would never believe him then.**

 **Oh, you'll definitely be seeing more of Sonic's protective side soon. As for Sonic's imprisonment, I don't see an opening for references to Sonic's imprisonment in the near future, though, but it will certainly be referenced. Two episode I have in mind for this are "Sonic's Big Break" and "H2 Whoa".**

 _ **The Green Seer**_

 _Heya! So glad you keep working on this story. I usually lose interest in writing rather quickly. I always admire writers who can continue putting out chapters as lengthy as you do. Keep it up!_

 _The idea of Sonic taking meals to Knuckles is simply adorable. And a cute touch for their relationship. I'm happy you're keeping Knuckles near the group. Now every time Sonic goes out for a run I'm going to wonder 'Is he going to hang out with Knuckles?'._

 _This episode was a favorite of mine. And thank you for Eggman properly manipulating Knuckles. Just dump science on him. That's all you need to do! Expanding on the manor scene was nice as well as the Tornado. I don't remember the reason why they didn't take it in the first place but even if it was not used, it's things that make sense that are good to be there._

 _I admit I have not played Forces, and I don't know the names of robots and series that Eggman has, so I'll take your word for it. The Citadel is scary though, and I hope we'll see it in the future, maybe. Again, Matt. The party episode is another favorite, just because of how random everybody is. It should be good._

 _The fight was great. Lengthy and actually a challenge for Sonic and Knuckles. And there were injuries, at least scratches and bruises. I'm not a sadist or anything but seriously, fighting robots is dangerous business unless you're Sonic or Knuckles._

 _The electrocution scene...well, it was tame honestly. I don't know how much experience you have with writing but to me this whole chapter just needed an 'extreme violence' warning...if even that. I've stumbled across a lot of really messed up stories but as I said, I'm not a sadist. If it has a role and it makes sense then sure, otherwise it just takes me out of the story. Violence is realistic, especially in a setting like this. So don't be afraid to use it as long as it doesn't go overboard._

 _(Also, the fact that Chris is starting to understand the gravity of the situation he got himself in, that is well done.)_

 _The ending was sweet. Some nice Sonic/Chris bonding. Can't wait for the next chapter. I love the teacher episode just because of how badass Sonic is during the fight and after._

 **Heya, Green Seer! Great to see another review from you! I still have a driving passion for this story, and I have no plans of quitting any time soon, which is great news for everyone.**

 **Actually, one of the only reasons I had Sonic taking meals to Knuckles was this: How else is Knuckles going to eat without being seen? So that;s how this started. But come to think of it, it _is_ cute! :D**

 **Like I told GuardianDragon98, I wasn't going to settle for a crybaby Eggman. Knuckles would never believe him that way. If Eggman kept his cool and was more convincing, then _that_ is a little lesson in trickery. As far as the going down in history part, well...**

 **There was no reason they couldn't take the Tornado. Also, I found it impossible to leave Cream out of the episode, and I don't know how the original episode did it. Nevertheless, I think Cream was a great addition to the episode. Also, if Tails weighs 44 pounds, and Amy however much she weighs, imagine Chris hauling _both_ of them onto and off of the train.**

 **The Citadel, or E-47 Pumpty, never appeared in Sonic Forces. But what if it did? I actually enjoyed writing a backstory for them. They could easily have appeared in a memorable battle in the Phantom War. If I do go through with an episode Sonic Forces rewrite, then I'll definitely relate that story.**

 **As for Matt... we'll see him next chapter! I've taken special precautions to make sure he doesn't end up being yet another Mary Sue.**

 **I really enjoyed lengthening the fight. And yes, I knew I had to add Badniks. Why send out a heavy-duty robot if you're not going to reinforce it with Badniks?**

 **How much experience do I have? Does writing a script-style Mario story in a notebook at age seven count? :P Seriously, I joined FFN in September 2017, but this is probably the most extreme chapter of any story I've ever written. And yes, I did try to make the electrocution scene tame. It's probably not going to get any worse than that... well, except maybe for "Sonic's Scream Test", "Countdown to Chaos", and "Teasing Time". I'm not a sadist either, but sometimes it feels necessary. I'm not going to have any senseless violence here.**

 **Oh, you'll definitely see how way past cool Sonic is during his fight against Eggman and his teacher robot in this chapter! I think you'll like the results.**

 _ **SharpDragonKlaw**_

 _This story has me interested. I liked seeing Sonic's protective side to the younger heroes he is looking more like a big brother to them. Your Sonic Forces rewrite (as I never liked the game for a lot of reasons) does sound interesting._

 **I'm glad you like my version of Sonic as much as I love writing him. It may be a while until my Sonic Forces rewrite comes out, if I do go through with it. I'll need to think of a ton of plot ideas, and I'm actually open to ideas. No Classic Sonic, thought. Gadget I'm still debating on.**

* * *

Thanks to _**D.J. Scales**_ and _**Twistedlionstories**_ for their positive feedback, and here's the next chapter!

 _Disclaimer: I do not own any elements in this story except for my own characters. Sonic the Hedgehog is owned by SEGA, who does not endorse or affiliate itself with this work of fiction. Real world locations and organizations are used fictitiously. Real world people will be mentioned, but will not appear, in order to adhere with "Entries not allowed" Rule 4._

Techno-Teacher? What's wrong with Pop Teacher, Trance Teacher, or... dare I say it... Rap Teacher? Actually, let's just move on and forget about these pointless 4Kids naming schemes...

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

It was Thursday, September 2. Five days had passed since the unfortunate Citadel incident. Those involved wished to forget about what happened that fateful day.

But Sonic the Hedgehog knew he could never forget.

Today, the thought on his mind was the same thought going through his head the last few days he went for a morning run.

 _How do I protect Chris?_

He knew that no one else was supposed to know he was here on Earth except for Chris and Chuck, but after those three battles with Eggman since arriving, he knew that secrecy was out the window. But how could he be there for Chris, especially away from home, when no one else was supposed to see him?

As he ran, he did not see the hidden government agents in a bush he passed.

"523 miles per hour," one of the three men reported as he lowered a device in his hand.

These men were sent on direct authority of the President to study the alien. After a few days of taking shifts in a bush across the street from Thorndyke Mansion (they did not want to arouse the suspicions of the Thorndykes), they quickly learned that the alien took daily runs starting around seven in the morning, and started almost every run going in the same direction.

Ever since learning that the alien started its runs around seven, they no longer needed to take shifts - their new orders was to record its speed, get a feel for just how fast it could run. So three government agents were hiding in a bush with a speed recording device, a notebook, and a tablet.

"Good; write that down," the second agent said as the third wrote down the latest recording.

"It's consistent with the other speeds we've recorded," he announced. The second agent took the notebook and punched some numbers into his tablet.

"You know, it's amazing how anything can run that fast without breaking the laws of physics," the first agent reminisced.

"I know," the third agent replied. "And when it comes to strange things, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Some Cantonville residents reported seeing some loose pieces of scrap metal up in Silver Valley. Rumors are spreading something fierce about them being related to Robotnik."

"I wouldn't doubt it," nodded the first agent. "Hey, I heard the Thorndykes' son was involved in that incident. Is he okay?"

"Yes, we got word that he made it out okay. We don't know what Robotnik was doing over there, but the metal from the robot he allegedly used was salvaged and taken to Area for analysis. They won't say much except it's other-wordly."

"Makes sense, especially considering Robotnik himself is other-worldly."

"Okay, just finished here," the second agent announced. He picked up his radio. "Team Alpha to Mission Control. Do you read?"

"Roger," came the response.

"Speed average for Day Eleven is 512 miles per hour. Over."

There was a pause. "Copy that. Your mission is complete. Report back to Mission Control for new instructions."

"Copy that. Over and out."

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

It was another school day, and I was seated in the dining room for breakfast. I reminisced what had happened five days ago after what was supposed to be a leisurely hunt for a Chaos Emerald.

As promised, Sonic had gone back to Silver Valley to clean up the debris left by Eggman's robot. He had told me that night that it looked as if Eggman never touched the landscape. That brought relief to me, as I knew no one wanted to go near the lake if it was polluted by metal and spilled fuel or whatever powers Eggman's robots. Now no one would ever know what happened there. I wished I could say the same.

When Sonic brought me back home, I was laid down in Grandpa's bed up in the lab, where I had been placed when I had nearly fallen to my death. Cream and Grandpa noticed that I didn't look well. Of course the cuts and bruises were evidence enough, but when I told them that Eggman electrocuted me for trying to escape, this got Cream concerned, maybe a little frightened, and Grandpa got mad at Eggman to the point where he even ranted a little on how inhumane and evil that was.

Minutes later, Tails and Amy arrived, and were relieved that I was safe in bed. I had stayed there until the morning being treated by Grandpa due to my pain and weakness. I also felt queasy due to the combination of motion sickness, smoke, and the rush home, so Grandpa placed a bucket near the bed. I hear that he even let me skip school the next day, telling Ella and Tanaka that I was under the weather. He was a little hesitant to let me in the house because he didn't know what my guardians would say about my... health. But he did nonetheless so as not to arouse suspicion from them.

One thing I remember as I dozed off to sleep that day was Grandpa, Tails, Amy, and Cream talking about me needing to be kept safe at all costs. Due to my fatigue and adrenalin rush wearing off, I was too tired to contribute to the conversation. I had to admit, I did need the protection. Eggman was a fare more serious threat than I realized.

This was five days ago. Now, I was eating a hearty breakfast before school. I was thankful that Ella was the greatest cook in the world, so hearty was normal for me. She could beat Bobby Flay with one hand behind her back, and I'm pretty sure she even _did_ do that once.

Tanaka entered the room, his cell phone to his ear.

"Yes, I shall tell him at once. Sayonara, Mr. Thorndyke."

With that, he hung up and turned to me.

"That was your father, Master Chris. He would like to inform you that he and your mother will arrive to see you this afternoon."

"Really?!" I immediately got excited. It had been eight months since I had last seen them. It looked like their busy schedules finally worked out for once.

A smiling Tanaka nodded. "They will be here through the weekend, if I am not mistaken."

"Oh, I can't wait to catch up with Lindsey!" Ella was equally as excited.

Good thing I was just finishing breakfast, for I wanted to tell Grandpa and my new Mobian friends about this latest development.

"May I be excused?" I asked Ella. "I wanna tell Grandpa about this!"

"Yes, you may," Ella said. With that, I immediately got up, grabbed my backpack from off the table, and ran toward the front door. "But don't take too long! You have school," she called after me.

"Okay. Bye, guys!" I called back as I opened the door and ran outside. I made a beeline for the lab, glad that Tanaka had relaxed the rule about running inside. I was older now and could take better care of myself on the foyer's marble floor.

Not even a minute later, I burst through the lab's trap door, accidentally startling Grandpa, Tails, Amy, and Cream. To my surprise, Sonic was also there, and they were all enjoying chili dogs. Sonic must have easily turned everyone else onto them, maybe even bribed Grandpa into getting them for all I know.

"Oh, you scared me," Grandpa said, his hand near his heart.

"Sorry," I hastily apologized, "but I wanted to tell you that Mom and Dad are finally coming home this afternoon!"

"Are they really!" Grandpa exclaimed, a broad smile on his face. "It's gonna be great to see Nelson again after all these months. I hope work's been going well with him."

I found that the Mobians' expressions seemed strange at this news. Tails, Amy, and Cream seemed confused, while Sonic seemed to have an odd expression. Was it... sympathy?

"But why aren't they around?" Tails queried.

"I'll explain later," Grandpa promised before taking another bite of his chili dog. Now _I_ wanted one, even if I had already eaten.

Having finished his chili dog, Sonic crumpled up the wrapper and tossed it perfectly into the garbage can. He stood up, stretched, and made his way to the trap door.

"Where are you going, Sonic?" I asked.

"Just the roof," he answered simply before lifting the door and descending the stairs. He closed the door behind him.

"What's up with him?" I asked no one in particular.

"Well, you know Sonic has a lot on his mind ever since we came here," answered Tails. "He likes relaxing on the roof or in a tree to think things through."

Well, I _guess_ that made sense in a way... But it still didn't explain Sonic's somewhat strange behavior ever since the incident at Silver Valley. It's not like he's been ignoring me, though. Yet it appeared as if he was keeping a careful eye on me. Or so I thought...

I snapped myself back to reality. "So, uh, could you all please stay out of sight when Mom and Dad arrive?"

"Sure thing," Amy agreed. Tails nodded.

"Mr. Chris, how long are your parents going to be here?" Cream asked.

"At least through the weekend, I think," I answered. Cream looked a little dismayed at the probability of having to be cooped up here for the whole weekend.

"Don't worry, Cream," Amy scooted closer to her friend. "We'll have fun while they're here! Chris, do you have any board games in the house?"

I nodded. "We do. Remind me to go get some when I come back from school."

"Actually, you don't have to wait that long," Grandpa responded. "I'll get them myself right after I see you off to school, which starts in..." He looked at the clock. "...ten minutes."

Only then did I realize the time. If I stayed a second longer, I would be sooo late for school. "Thanks for reminding me, Grandpa. Bye, guys!" With that, I immediately threw open the trap door and ran down the stairs...

Okay, maybe I was a little _too_ hasty. I pitched forward, but landed on my hands to break my fall.

"Chris, are you all right?" called Grandpa from above me.

"I'm fine!" I called back as I stood back up and ran for my bike, grateful that Sonic had brought it back after finding the first Chaos Emerald. I mounted it and pedaled off to school.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Relief spread through the room when Chuck, Tails, Amy, and Cream heard that Chris was not seriously hurt. The way he flew down those stairs...

Tails turned back to Chuck, wondering to himself why it never occurred to him to ask about Chris' parents. Chris seemed like he had it all - a big house, lots of money, a butler and a maid... but no real family he lived with aside from his grandfather.

"Mr. Chris looked very happy to know his parents are coming," noted Cream.

"He is," Chuck nodded. "He hasn't seen them in eight months."

There was a brief pause.

"I... I'm sorry to hear that," Amy spoke after a moment. "I didn't know. Eight months is way too long for anyone to go without seeing his parents."

Tails nodded. "What is it they do that keeps them away from their son for so long?"

Chuck took a sip of his coffee before clearing his throat. "Chris' father Nelson, who happens to be my son, is an entrepreneur, and owner of Starship Soft, one of the biggest technological industries in the world. His mother Lindsey is a famous Hollywood actress who has won many awards for her acting."

There was another sympathetic pause. By now everyone had finished eating, so they set their plates aside.

"...Yeah, that _would_ explain their absence," Tails pondered. "How often do they visit?"

"They visit only two to five times a year," Chuck answered. "I want them to visit more often as much as Chris does, but their jobs are very demanding. And yet both of them love their jobs."

"Poor Chris..." sympathized Cream.

"It's like he has a hole in his heart with them away for so long, and with their visits few and far between, well... Chris is a very lonely kid, and he's been trying to fill that hole with whatever he can."

"Does he have any friends?" Amy asked out of the blue.

Chuck hesitated, almost unsure of what to say. "You're the first friends he's ever had."

"Wait, Chris has never had a friend before?" Tails was surprised at this new development.

"But he's a good kid!" Amy added in her own two cents. "How can someone as nice as him be completely friendless?"

"I don't know," Chuck slowly shook his head. "It feels like fate. Sure, there are people who like him, but only because he's the son of celebrities. I want the best for him, but there's nothing I can do to help him make true friends. It's not like he's introverted or anything."

The Mobians didn't know what to say. Chris not only didn't have friends, but couldn't make any, either. That was a real shame.

"You have no idea how much you've changed his life," Chuck continued. "He seems to be a lot happier now that you're here." He paused, unsure of how to phrase what he was about to say. "Please take care of him. He needs you."

Tails, Amy, Cream, and Cheese solemnly nodded.

"We will," promised Tails. "We all will."

Chuck looked from one face to the next. "Thank you," he said after a pause.

Little did they know that Sonic had heard every word of the conversation.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Eggman was bored. He had done mostly nothing in the last five days, besides organizing and re-organizing his Badniks and E-series robots. He had kept tabs on the GUN agents on his island who had done mostly nothing since they arrived. He didn't want to instigate them now, as that would result in a war. In fact, he had to count on an all-out attack on his base at some point.

But he couldn't get the boy off his mind, and it didn't help that "Everybody Dance Now" was stuck within the confines of his 300-IQ head. It was a catchy song, but the boy was more important.

Last time he made a move, he nearly succeeded in taking him to his fortress for roboticization, even if he didn't have one ready yet. He knew it wouldn't take him long to build one. However, his Chaos Roboticizer had taken him a solid month to build. He would have to settle for a normal Roboticizer.

This time he wouldn't try to get rid of him, or roboticize him. This time he would attempt to get to know his enemy better.

There seemed to be more to him than met the eye. Eggman still couldn't get over the fact that he stole the Chaos Emerald right out from under his nose in broad daylight, in the most daring way possible. He needed to know several things about this new enemy Sonic was staying with. Such questions were on his mind as:

Who is he?  
What is his name?  
Why is he so dangerous?

"Doctor Eggman," Bocoe's voice came, rousing the mad genius from his thoughts.

"Yes, what is it?" Eggman responded, not really wanting to get up.

"You will want to take a look at this."

Eggman stood up and walked over to one of the smaller screens flanking the big screen. Its monitor clearly depicted a familiar-looking child riding a bicycle.

"This footage was recorded using one of the surveillance robots navigating the city," explained Bocoe. For days Eggman had his SpyBots, an older model of robot, scouting the city for any sighs of anything that could forward his plans. They all were upgraded with cloaking devices, so that no one could see them.

"Is this the child you saw earlier?" Bocoe asked.

Eggman nodded. "It is."

"What do you intend to do?" Bocoe asked. "Surely it is not in your nature to stalk minors."

"Oh no, I'm not stalking him," Eggman corrected. "I only intend to learn more about him. That annoying pincushion and his rodent friends are staying with him, and, in case you didn't know, he stole a Chaos Emerald right out of my grasp!"

"We have already been informed of this," Bocoe did the closet thing to deadpanning. Eggman shrugged it off.

"Have this SpyBot follow the boy. I want to know where he is headed."

"Affirmative."

So the SpyBot quickly relocated the boy and secretly followed him. Eggman couldn't help but notice that he had a strange smile on his face - as if he was excited about something. He wondered what it could be.

About a minute later, the boy locked his bike and ran toward what looked like a school.

"Thursday morning, I should have known," Eggman muttered to himself. "Decoe, you don't look busy. Come over here and put a marker at the drone's current location, then withdraw it."

"Yes, Doctor Eggman," the yellow robot saluted as it walked over to Eggman's side. He brought up a touch screen, then tapped the location of the drone. A point was dropped on the satellite image. Eggman saw where it was dropped.

"Oakview Elementary..." he mused. "So this is where he goes to school..."

Just then an idea came to mind. He could use one of his drill sergeant robots to teach the child's class to see him in a whole new light.

"Delightfully devilish, Eggman," he chuckled to himself.

"Do you require the cards, Doctor?" Decoe asked.

Eggman stood up. "Not today," he answered as he walked toward the room's exit. "I know who I'm going to send."

He strided out of the room and, making a left, walked briskly down the hall. Good thing he had the layout of the fortress memorized, as it was quite large and easy to get lost in for anyone with a lower IQ than he had, which was practically everybody.

He took the stairs to the floor below him, and soon arrived at one of the fortresses' several training rooms.

Eggman had a total of eight E-51 Drill Sergeant robots in total. Their purpose was simple: train Badniks for battle. Even though they were robots and could be programmed with new strategies, they could alternatively be trained with new offenses and defenses should these robots encounter Sonic, saving Eggman time.

He spotted one of the Drill Sergeant units in the room and approached it.

"Are you busy?" he asked.

The Drill Sergeant, turned to its master. "Negative."

"Good; I have a mission for you," Eggman stated as he turned back to the doorway. "Follow me."

The E-51 unit hovered after Eggman as they headed back to the command center. A puzzled expression filled its LED eyes. "What mission would require my expertise?" it asked.

"You are going to infiltrate a certain classroom at a certain school and teach the children there to admire me."

"I am not programmed to instruct human beings," the E-51 stated.

"Not to worry, E-51," Eggman reassured. "It'll just be for this one mission. Then you'll be back to training Badniks."

"...Affirmative."

A few minutes later, Eggman returned to the command center with his Drill Sergeant. He crossed the room in a few quick strides and paused to allow the robot to catch up. He pulled a long cord out of a drawer.

"Hold still," he instructed as he connected one end into a slot in the E-51. He inserted the other end into the computer, selected a few options, and soon had the school's coordinates, as well as the image of the child Sonic was staying with, installed into the robot. Opening another drawer, he pulled out two large chips. One was a brainwashing module that could override voluntary actions, but not thoughts. The other was a Chaos Control module from one of his previous plans. Eggman had found a way to store a sizable amount of Chaos energy inside a chip for teleportation purposes. However, it had been so long since he needed them that there was a chance they could be faulty.

Eggman took a few moments to open a panel in the E-51's back and install them.

"My power level has increased, Doctor," the robot stated.

"Good. Use any means necessary to get those children to support me. I would highly recommend the brainwashing module I installed. If security is too persistent, just use the Chaos Control module to get yourself out of there. Got it?"

"Affirmative," the E-51 saluted.

"Be on your way now. You won't need to use the runway; the Badnik launch bay will be more sufficient."

"Affirmative," the E-51 repeated as it hovered from the room. Eggman sat back and watched the radar as a blip moved away from his base and toward Station Square. The Drill Sergeant would succeed. He was sure of it.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

I love math, but sometimes it's harder than Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels.

Today I was struggling on an algebra pop quiz. Why algebra? Why couldn't it be normal math, like subtraction or even long division?

So yeah, you probably get the point. I never did care for algebra. It always seemed too... mysterious. Two of the most daunting problems were _n_ \+ 2 = 3³ - 5 and (2 × _y_ ) + 4 = 32 - 12. (Think you can solve them by the time you reach the end of the chapter? Answers will be revealed at the beginning of the next chapter!)

Maybe I was exaggerating earlier. While I had done algebra before, this was the kind of algebra I hated, and now the problems were getting more difficult. And this was only sixth grade. I was sure I could get better at this, but as Master Qui-Gon in Star Wars says, there's always a bigger fish.

 _I sure wish something exciting could happen to break me away from this pop quiz..._

I immediately regretted that thought as the door was suddenly blasted off its hinges by something from outside. Fortunately, the door didn't fly very far, and I chastised myself to be careful what I wished for. Immediately afterward, a tall robot hovered into the room. It was about six feet tall, and was sporting one of those hats you see at graduation parties. Mr. Stewart jumped up and faced the newcomer.

"No one will leave the premises," it demanded in a somewhat monotone voice.

What did it want? Why was it here? I had to admit, I was startled, but fortunately, Mr. Stewart didn't lose his cool.

"Who are you?" he asked. "Are you with Robotnik?"

"Affirmative," the robot replied.

"State your business," Mr. Stewart ordered as calmly as possible.

"Your contract has expired," the robot stated as it slowly approached the teacher, its mouth grille flashing in time to its speech. "You are no longer eligible to instruct the juveniles. You will depart the premises immediately."

Mr. Stewart pulled a pistol from his jacket, to my surprise. I took it he was a legal carrier.

"If you do not leave immediately, I will call security on you and have you escorted out. Wait, how did you even get in here unnoti-"

He didn't get a chance to finish as the robot suddenly fired a beam out of its chest, vaporizing Mr. Stewart by the atom. We were all stunned into silence at this sudden turn of events. I was really getting to like Mr. Stewart, especially since he had told me a couple of times how much he loves Mom's movies. Why did this robot have to do this?

The robot hovered over to the seat Mr. Stewart used to occupy and faced us.

"I am E-51 Drill Sergant, servant of Dr. Eggman, but you will address me as E-51," it stated. I knew it. This was one of Eggman's robots. It seemed that Eggman may or may not have known about all the incidents that take place at schools these days. Today is no different.

"He killed Mr. Stewart..." Danny whispered, still in shock, but E-51 overheard.

"Negative. Previous instructor Greg Stewart is not deceased. Stewart has been transported. I am his substitute. Today I will instruct you in the truth about Dr. Eggman."

My blood ran cold. Dr. Robotnik had some nerve sending a robot here to teach us about him. What was the point? Was it propaganda? As a sinking feeling set in, I suddenly felt myself wishing I could go back to my algebra...

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Mr. Stewart was far from dead.

One moment, he was staring down a robot that inexplicably entered his classroom; the next, he was standing in a hallway he had never been in before.

"Short-range transmat beam," he muttered as he looked around. He knew he was never given a sufficient tour of the entire facility, so he had no idea what hallway he was in. At least he was still in the school. This made him wonder why he wasn't teleported far away if he was to be gotten rid of.

On that note, why didn't the robot kill him? He quickly found an answer: even though Robotnik was evil, he was still above robbing children of their innocence.

He began to wander aimlessly down the hall in search of his class. But no door or passage looked familiar to him. This was bad news. If he didn't make it back to his class, there would be certain calamity.

At last he spotted a pair of restrooms. He entered the men's room and, to his relief, saw that it was empty. He ducked into a stall and pressed a few buttons to activate his video watch. After a moment, the face of his superior officer appeared on the screen.

"Stewart to Base, uh... I don't know how to explain this, but... a robot teleported me out of my class. I think it's one of Robotnik's robots."

"You said it teleported you out," the agent repeated. "Did I hear that right?"

"Affirmative."

"It sounds like this robot kicked you out in an attempt to take over the class for whatever Robotnik has in mind. This makes it a delicate situation. Do you know if school security is on the scene?"

"No. Somehow it got in unnoticed."

The agent thought this over for a moment. "I suggest you contact local police."

"Isn't police presence going to make the situation harder?"

"Look, you're dealing with a robot here, not a human. Try it anyway."

"Yes, sir."

With that, Mr. Stewart disconnected from his superior and reached for his cell phone. He hoped this would work. He dialled 911 and held the phone to his ear. After the hall, he purposed to find his class and see if they were safe.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

"I already know the truth," I blurted, disgusted over what E-51 had just told us. No way was Eggman going to use propaganda on me. Sure, some Millennials could probably get duped by Eggman. But not me; I learned all I needed to know about him from Sonic and his friends. Counter-knowledge would get me nowhere.

I could swear E-51 glared at me through its light-up eyes. "You will remain silent," it admonished. "All of you will remain silent."

"No, we're not going to be quiet!" Danny piped up. I admired his bravery. "I may not know Eggman as well as Chris does, but I can tell you that he's evil!"

"Creator Dr. Robotnik is not designated 'evil'," corrected E-51. "The future Eggman Empire will benefit humanity. Eggmanland will be the be-all end-all carnival. In due time you will all call Dr. Robotnik your new master."

"My friends told me enough," I replied, feeling bold. "They told me that everyone in the Eggman Empire will be robots."

"Affirmative," E-51 confirmed.

Apparently our courage sparked rebellion throughout the classroom. It erupted with cries of:

"I'm going to stay human!"  
"Eggman will never win!"  
"The aliens will defeat him!"  
"You don't have to listen to him!"

That last line came from Frances. I was proud of her for joining the revolt.

E-51, however, would have none of it. "Do you suggest mutiny?" it asked.

"Robotnik is likely going to scrap his robots after he finishes using them anyway. Do you really want to be scrapped?"

"Frances is right," I added. "You should be free to live your own life away from Eggman."

"Freedom..." E-51 droned, as if it never heard of the concept in its entire mechanical life. I nodded.

Just then something unprecedented happened.

"Malfunction... malfuction..." it repeated as its hands started to glow intensely bright, causing us to squint. "Chaos Control module overridden."

Soon all of E-51 was glowing, and energy shot from its hands, connecting to all of us. I wondered where security was. Way wasn't anyone stopping E-51?

The energy surrounding me was bright, almost to the point where I had to close my eyes. Now I don't know how to explain it, but it's almost as if... my chair slowly disappeared under me? And I was automatically moving into a standing position? It felt very strange. I don't know what was happening, but whatever it was, it wasn't good...

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Having finished with his transmission in the restroom, Mr. Stewart looked around to make sure no one had heard him. Fortunately he was alone. This was good.

He casually walked out of the restroom and down the hall, resuming his search for his class. It _had_ to be around here somewhere. He had to find it fast. If his superior was right, then the children were in extreme danger. He had to get there and take care of things before they got too far out of hand.

His thoughts urged him to quicken his pace. There weren't too many people around, which somewhat helped him. He wouldn't know how to respond if someone saw his urgent expression. He didn't know how to explain it.

At last he saw a familiar-looking hallway. At last he knew where he was. One of the first rooms he saw was the principal's office. He knew his class wasn't too far away. But just as he was continuing down the hall, the principal opened the door and was surprised to see Mr. Stewart there.

"Aren't you supposed to be back in your classroom?" he asked.

"Actually, I..." Stewart began, turning to face the principal. "You're not going to believe this, but a robot possibly affiliated with Dr. Robotnik teleported me out of my class and is most likely holding the class hostage."

"With me!" ordered Everett as he took off running toward the sixth-grade classroom. Stewart followed at an equal pace, finding it humorously ironic that the principal, who usually forbids running in the halls, is now breaking his own rule. But Stewart figured it could be pardoned on account of the emergency.

"What did he look like?" Everett demanded.

"Tall, white, no legs, had a graduation hat," Stewart described as accurately and quickly as possible.

"Unusual design," remarked the principal as they neared their destination. There in front of where the door used to be were several security officers. Several more were inside the otherwise empty classroom.

 _I'm too late,_ thought Mr. Stewart. _My subject could be kidnapped... or worse..._

"Where are the students?" Principal Everett asked. "They couldn't have left the school without our knowing."

"I know," one of the officers replied. "There isn't even a sign that the chairs were scooted back. The classroom is too organized for a mass evacuation."

"Well, I already called the cops. They're sending officers over as we speak," Mr. Stewart reported. Inside, he had a feeling they wouldn't make any more progress than security was making. He hoped he was wrong.

Just then another security guard joined the congregation. "Just checked surveillance. It looks like the robot teleported itself and all the students out of the class. Where to, I don't know, but it's sure not anywhere else in the school."

 _Just like how it teleported me out_ , Stewart mentally added. _But from the sounds of it, this isn't a short-range teleport. The kids could literally be anywhere._

"I should probably get to escorting the police here," Mr. Stewart spoke, but the principal was already heading for the door. "No, I've got it," he volunteered as he left the room.

One of the security officers turned to Mr. Stewart. "So let me get this straight. You were just teaching your class like normal, and suddenly the robot breaks into your class and teleports you out?"

"Yeah. You saw that in the surveillance, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Do you know how the robot managed to get in unnoticed?"

"Yes. I saw the robot materializing just outside the door to the classroom."

Stewart was incredulous. "How, when Dr. Robotnik doesn't even know the layout of this school?" The security officer just shook his head. Mr. Stewart knew that Robotnik seemed to have his own methods that they humans couldn't figure out. This had to be one of them.

Ten minutes later, Principal Everett returned. "A few officers are on their way here now. Others are searching the ground for the robot. They told me they don't have any reason to believe that other classes are threatened."

 _It's almost as if the robot_ specifically _targeted this class,_ Mr. Stewart pondered. _And I think I know why..._

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

When the glow dies down seconds later, I found that we were standing in one of Station Square's many municipal ballparks. I've seen this specific one before; it's not far from my school. But why did E-51 teleport us here?

Why did it teleport us at all?

Almost immediately the questions began flying.

"What happened?"  
"Where are we?"  
"How did you do that?"

"An programming conflict has inadvertently activated my Chaos Control module. This has been rectified." At the time I had forgotten what Chaos Control was. I assumed it had something to do with the Chaos Emeralds, though.

"Oh, you mean like a virus?" Danny asked.

"Affirmative," E-51 replied as it floated over to a nearby shed. We all followed it.

"Mr. E-51, what is Chaos Control you mentioned?" a student asked. But she got no answer as the robot teacher entered the shed. I noticed that the student looked confused, maybe startled for some reason. I shrugged it off as E-51 came back outside with two containers of baseball bats, balls, mitts, and hats.

"Who wants to play baseball?" E-51 asked. We all shouted yes. Actually, I don't remember making myself agree. If anything, I wanted to head back to my class with Mr. Stewart, or better yet, do home. I didn't say yes, and yet I did.

E-51 began supplying us all with our baseball gear, and I found that, to my shock, I couldn't move a muscle in my body, and yet I was moving on my own.

"Play ball!" the robot announced. I had no choice but to comply. I wished that Sonic and his friends could come and save me from this robot.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Having arrived in Station Square at last, Nelson Thorndyke made a beeline for the baggage claim area. He had finally found a break in his busy schedule to visit his son. He wished he could spend more time with him, but he was the owner of Starship Soft, which made it next to impossible to break away from work.

At last his luggage arrived on the conveyor belt, and he claimed it, grateful that his suitcase looked different from the others on the belt. He was also glad to not have a lot of attention on him, even though the airport was packed with Labor Day travelers. He may have been a celebrity, but he also needed time for people to be used to him being out and about. Fortunately, this wasn't hard to achieve.

He took a plane because his private jet was in for repairs and upgrades. He hoped that would be finished soon. At least he was able to fly first class. He did not have his bodyguards with him today, though.

He glanced at his watch: 2:20 PM. She should be here very soon. 761 was her flight number, due to arrive at 2:55 that afternoon. He mentally added ten minutes to make up the time she would arrive.

He walked over to the waiting area and sat down. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he dialed home. Might as well inform them that he would be there soon.

A moment later, Ella answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, Ella. I'm just calling to let you know that I'm at the airport now. Lindsey and I should be there, oh, about 3:30-ish."

"Okay," Ella responded. "Chris is in school now. He's going to be so excited when he returns home."

"I can't wait to see him myself," Nelson replied. "It's been a good eight months. I've _got_ to make more time in my work schedule for him."

"I know you'll find a way, Mr. Thorndyke," encouraged Ella. "Hurry home! I'll prepare a hearty meal for our two strapping entrepreneurs."

"I can't wait," chuckled Nelson. "See you around 3:30."

A little over half an hour after he hung up the phone with his maid, he spotted his beautiful wife Lindsey approaching, handbag in hand.

"Lindsey!" Nelson exclaimed as he stood up.

"Nelson!" she returned as they embraced with a hug and kiss. "Good to see you managed to get a flight that coincided with mine."

"I almost didn't," Nelson replied as he parted his hair to the side. "With Labor Day coming up, simply managing to find a ticket for today was brutal, not to mention my plane was packed to near capacity."

"Same here," seconded Lindsey as she walked over to the baggage claim. "How is work going, dear?"

"Pretty well," he responded. "We finalized the draft for the next generation of the Syntax hard drive. All it needs is further testing and then it's ready to manufacture. How are thing going on your end?"

Lindsey sound her suitcase and lifted it off the belt. "Well, since the remnants of Hurricane Josephine passed through two weeks, we made progress with _Valencia_ by leaps and bounds. However, we still have another half of the movie to shoot, and we're a little behind schedule."

"Sorry to hear that," Nelson sympathized. "Did they talk about delaying the movie?"

"No, fortunately," she replied. "We're still on track for its release in June."

"That's good news."

As they headed toward the rental car garage, Nelson spoke up. "Say, I just had a wonderful idea. Instead of just driving home, why don't we surprise Chris by taking the helicopter?"

"That is a _wonderful_ idea, dear! Christopher is going to absolutely _love_ it!"

Nelson beamed. "I thought so. I'm going to call the Eckstein Building now, see if we can get a ride."

He pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped the button to speed-dial the Station Square branch of Starship Soft. After a few rings, the facility's manager, Bob Steele, answered.

"This is the Eckstein Building; how may we serve you, Mr. Thorndyke?"

"I'm in town this weekend, and I wanted to know if the helicopter is safe," requested Nelson.

"Yes, sir," Steele affirmed. "We moved it over to the Ayers Airstrip three miles northwest of the Eckstein Building. Uh, what did you want to use it for?"

"My wife and I wanted to use it to pay our son a surprise visit," Nelson explained.

"Very well. I shall prepare security immediately."

"Thank you. We'll be by shortly."

As Nelson hung up, his wife looked at him with questioning eyes. "What did you mean when you asked if the helicopter is safe?" she asked.

"Where do I begin..." he thought aloud. "Well, it's strange, unearthly even, but there was a self-proclaimed scientific genius who attacked the Eckstein Center in his claim for world domination."

"Really?" Lindsey was incredulous.

"You didn't see the news?"

"No, I haven't had much time to."

"Okay. I had been briefed on the extent of the damage to the building. Eyewitnesses say the genius' giant robot ascended the building from the inside, creating a giant hole leading all the way up to the top. Even though no outer walls were damaged, they say the building is not structurally sound. The staff managed to move the helicopter away safely, though. It could be closed for as long as a year for repairs."

"Oh..." Lindsey was overwhelmed at what she had just heard. "Is this person at large? The genius?"

"Yes," Nelson nodded. "Unfortunately, the police have not been able to stop him after two encounters."

"Then... Is there hope?"

Sensing the worry in his wife's voice, Nelson put an arm around her shoulder. "Of course there's hope, dear. Around the same time the genius arrived, an alien race showed up and defeated him."

At this, Lindsey perked up. "Aliens?"

"I know, it sounds crazy, but it's true. They were responsible for stopping the genius both times. I think his name was Dr. Robotnik or something..."

"Dr. Robotnik?" she repeated, as if she recognized the name. "That's the name I heard the other day when preparing for a shoot! I didn't think much of it at the time, though... But still, all you shared about him and the aliens are fascinating."

"I know," Nelson agreed as they neared the rental car lot. "Maybe someday we can meet them if we're lucky. We owe them our lives."

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

About six hours had passed since Eggman deployed his E-51 Drill Sergeant to Oakview Elementary school. There was no way it should take this long to brainwash the children into supporting him. Something was wrong.

So when he returned to his command center, latte in hand, and switched on a screen that showed him the view from E-51's eyes, he saw exactly what it was. To his shock, something had definitely changed. The signal with E-51 had been lost for six whole hours, and it finally came back only to show that E-51 and the children were, of all things, playing baseball. Why?! It was supposed to teach the kids about the benefits of the Eggman Empire, not slack off! There would now be no revolution among the age groups this world called the Millennials and Gen-Z, all because his E-51 malfunctioned.

Looking around, he saw that neither Decoe nor Bocoe were in the command center. There were only a few maintenance and navigator robots.

"Bring up the radar," instructed Eggman in as calm a tone as he could muster given the situation.

"Yes, Doctor," the robot answered. In a moment, the radar was projected. Eggman saw that E-51's current position was not at the school, but at a municipal ballpark half a mile away.

"So its Chaos Control module was accidentally activated..." Eggman put together the pieces. "They _are_ old. I haven't used them in some time. It never occurred to me to check them for viruses."

He held down the button for the intercom and leaned toward the microphone built into the console. "Bokkun, report to the command center ASAP."

It didn't even take two minutes for the mischievous robot to enter the room. The first thing he spotted was the latte in Eggman's hand.

"Ooh! Is that a latte? Where can I get one of those?"

Eggman shook his head. "Starbucks. Now you might recall that I sent an E-51 to brainwash the kids at school. Did I tell you about that?"

"Yes, Doctor. Decoe and Bocoe know too."

"Okay." The doctor pointed to the radar, which had E-51's coordinates on the bottom. "Fly to those coordinates and correct its mission. Warn it that I will come if further defiance is observed."

"Sir yes sir!" Bokkun saluted and flew off. Even though he could be very annoying at times, Eggman loved that Bokkun was a very willing robot. He sat back to await the results.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Chuck was standing just outside the door to the helicopter pad behind the house, awaiting the arrival of his son and daughter-in-law. He watched as the helicopter slowly descended toward the pad. The rotors were very loud, and the wind they generated was strong, but Chuck had dealt with this before.

Seconds later, the chopper made a perfect three-point landing on the pad. The side door opened, and a ramp extended to the ground from inside. Two security guards stepped down the ramp and flanked the two entrepreneurs as they disembarked from the helicopter. Nelson and Lindsey Thorndyke were here at last.

"Home sweet home," whispered Nelson as he looked over the familiar sight of Thorndyke Mansion.

"Nelson! Lindsey!" Chuck greeted. He ran toward them and shook their hands.

"How are you, Dad?" Nelson asked.

"Doing great. Probably better than I have in a long time," his father replied just as Ella and Tanaka emerged from the house.

"Oh, it's so good to see you both again!" Ella exclaimed.

"You too, Ella!" Lindsey returned as they hugged.

"So what's new?" Nelson asked Chuck.

"Not much," he replied, making sure to not reference a certain blue hedgehog. "I've just been tinkering with my infrared scopes. Also, Chris is back in school."

"What grade is he in again?" asked Nelson.

Chuck wasn't fazed by the question. "Sixth," he replied without missing a beat.

"How could I forget that?" Nelson all but facepalmed.

"Don't worry about it, Son," Chuck reassured. "You've got yourself a busy job." But Nelson still wondered how he could have forgotten his own son's grade. Perhaps he _was_ working a bit too hard.

"I know. Sometimes I wish I could be able to spend more time with my son that I already am. Is he home yet?"

"Not yet," Chuck answered, "but he should be any time now."

"Come inside; I'll make you all some coffee," invited Ella as the group of five started heading inside.

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

From my spot on the garage roof, I watched as a distant helicopter approached the house, and knew Chris' parents were aboard. Good thing I chose the roof to spend my time - I could rest and stay out of sight at the same time.

In Chuck's lab beneath me, I could hear Tails, Amy, Cream, and Cheese enjoying their second Game of Life game. I had stuck around to play the first game, but afterward decided to rest on the roof and let my thoughts wander. There was much to think about ever since we were all sent here.

As the helicopter neared the landing pad behind the house, I could hear my friends scrambling to the window to watch. Sure enough, Chris' parents stepped out of the helicopter, flanked by a pair of security guards. Their jobs must be _really_ important if they need bodyguards.

I watched as Chris' grandpa, butler, and maid communed with his parents. It still pained me that they were never around to be with Chris. I mean, he had it all. He had pretty much everything a kid could ever want... except his parents. Interestingly, I had noticed that Chris seemed to be gravitating toward me and my friends to replace that hole in my heart. I knew I couldn't refuse that.

I watched as Chris' parents and guardians went inside the house. I was just about to lie back down again when I heard Amy calling me.

"Sonic? Are you still up there?"

I walked to the edge of the roof and carefully looked down to see her looking up at me. "Yeah. What's up?" I asked.

"Do you know if Chris made it home from school yet?" she asked.

I thought back for a moment. "No. Usually he's home around this time. Want me to go look for him?"

"Not yet," Tails replied. "Maybe he's talking with a friend or something. Let's wait a little longer."

I nodded and lay back down on the roof. I really hoped that it wasn't something _else_ holding him up at school...

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

I didn't know how long I had been playing baseball with E-51. Maybe half an hour, I guess? However long it was, it felt like a really long time. One part of me wanted to just put down my gear, pick up my backpack, and go home. But the other half, which seemed to be the more dominant half, demanded that I keep playing.

I pitched the ball to Danny, who successfully batted it. It sort of felt like I wasn't able to control myself. It was the strangest feeling. The ball sailed through the air, but E-51 flew up and caught it before it could leave the park. We all cheered for the robot, congratulating it for its awesome catch. I don't know why, but I felt myself liking E-51 more and more. I mean, I shouldn't be, especially since this is most likely Dr. Eggman's robot. But like I said, I couldn't control myself.

I was really getting bored in what was left of my free will. However, things changed a few plays later, though not necessarily for the better.

E-51 was up to bat. I was just about to pitch to it when I heard this annoying voice. I can only describe it as nails on a chalkboard.

"E-51 Drill Sergeant!" it shrieked.

We all slowly stopped playing and turned to the source of the voice. It was a small being that seemed to resemble a cross between a Mobian and a robot. It descended toward the ground using the jetpack it wore on its back.

E-51 did not appear to be amused at the newcomer's interruption. "Explain your presence, Bokkun," it demanded. Bokkun... So _that_ was this robot's name...

""You were sent here to make these juveniles admire Dr. Eggman, but nooo, you _had_ to get admired yourself!" he shouted. "Who do you think you are, defect?!"

"I know the truth," E-51 began to explain. "The juveniles have enlightened me on the subject. Not all human beings deserve roboticization. Besides, it is possible that I prefer to be admired myself after programming so many other robots to admire Dr. Eggman."

Bokkun became so mad, I swear I could see steam coming out of where his ears would be.

"E-51, you are a malfuctioning robot deserving the scrap heap since your conception! If you do not stick to your original mission, then I have a message from Dr. Eggman himself that will convince you otherwise!"

As he said this, he pulled a small yellow television from a satchel he was toting. How did it even fit in there...? I decided not to question it as Bokkun switched it on. Eggman appeared on the screen, but he was not facing the viewers.

"Fly to those coordinates and correct its mission. Warn it that I will come if further defiance is observed," came the doctor's voice from the screen.

"Did you hear that?!" Bokkun practically screamed. "Eggman's gonna come and punish you if you keep this up! Is that what you really want?!"

"Come what may," E-51 replied, surprising Bokkun. "I have taken it upon myself to defend the class regardless of the doctor's course of action."

"Very well!" Bokkun retorted as he put the TV back in his bag. "But don't come crying to me when Eggman dismantles you!" Suddenly, he flew over to me, something I totally didn't respect. "And you! Don't _ever_ interfere in Eggman's plans, okay?! Now you be good and listen to your teacher!" With that, he flew away.

I threw confused glances at the others, who were looking at me with the same "What was that all about?" look.

"Who _was_ that?" Danny asked.

"No one to be concerned about," E-51 did a robot's equivalent of shrugging. "Gameplay will resume."

We automatically took up positions, and I hoped even more that Sonic and his friends would come before Eggman did.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

It had been a solid ten minutes since Eggman deployed Bokkun to the ballpark E-51 was in. Finishing the last of his latte, he anxiously anticipated positive results.

Just then Bocoe entered the command center. "Have you finished your latte yet, Doctor?" he asked.

Eggman set down hos now-finished beverage. "Uh, yes, I've finished. You can take it."

Bocoe walked over and took the empty cup before disposing of it in a nearby trash can.

"What is the progress of E-51's mission?" he inquired.

"E-51 appears to be defective," explained Eggman. "It's playing baseball with the kids he's supposed to be brainwashing, so I sent Bokkun out to remind him of his objective. I'm waiting to hear back from him any minute now."

Bocoe appeared confused. "Doctor, how could a robot of your genius design defect so easily?"

Eggman gritted his teeth. "That's what I intend to find out. Though, I suspect it might be the Chaos Control module from one of my old abandoned plans. I never did scan it for viruses."

Just then the "Incoming Call" notification appeared on one of the console screens. Eggman turned to the console and pressed a button on the touchscreen to accept the call. Bokkun appeared on the screen.

"Did you get through to E-51?" Eggman asked.

"I couldn't," the mischievous robot replied. "In fact, the kids got through to him. They told him what they called the truth about the Eggman Empire, and here's the kicker: E-51 claims he can protect them from you!"

Eggman grinned a grin that confirmed he truly was the man with the master plan. "We'll see about that," he sneered. "Bokkun, your mission is done. Return to base. I'm going down there to deal with that incompetent robot right now."

He hung up with Bokkun and reached for the intercom. "Decoe, report to the command center and bring my tool belt."

Three minutes later, the tall yellow robot entered the command center carrying a sizable tool belt decorated with utensils of many varieties.

"Repairs for Motobug platoon C is complete as you have requested, Doctor," he reported.

"Hand me the tool belt," instructed Eggman. "I plan to _personally_ deal with this defect. Bocoe, arrange a group of Buzz Bombers as an escort and patrol unit."

"Affirmative," he saluted as Eggman walked toward the elevator. He turned around for a moment.

"Let Bokkun back in when he returns, and hold down the fort while I'm gone. Make sure GUN doesn't do anything sudden."

He stepped into the metro elevator and pressed the button to descend to where his Eggmobile was parked. It took everything he had to keep his anger in check. He needed to save it for E-51. He was determined to deal with it and the kids as soon as he arrived.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

Suddenly, it felt like I had gained all my free will back. I had this incredibly overwhelming desire to stop playing. I had also realized that I was feeling exhausted. Looking around, I could tell that everyone felt the same way.

"What just happened?" Frances asked confusedly.

"I don't know," another student replied. "It felt like we couldn't control ourselves."

"Mind control?" Danny guessed.

"It has to be," a fourth student replied.

"Yeah, I can't think of anything else it could be," added another student.

I don't know why, but I had a sudden urge to know what time it was. It felt like we were playing for hours, but if I had to guess, we were only playing for forty-five minutes. So I checked my watch.

My eyebrows shot up.

"Guys... it's 4:10."

An astonished silence fell upon the group, with the only noise being E-51 putting the baseball gear away. Then the floodgates opened, releasing all the questions from the class' heads.

"What?!"  
"Really?!"  
"You're kidding!"  
"But it's only been maybe half an hour!"

I too was shocked. How did that much time pass so quickly?! Maybe it had to do with the Chaos Control thing E-51 spoke of? Sonic _did_ say it transports people through time and space, so... maybe that's what happened?

Even stranger, E-51 didn't seem to notice that it too had been sent forward in time. Having finished cleaning up after our game, it approached us.

"Class has concluded," it announced. "I will be present to instruct you tomorrow." I wished he wasn't.

The moments afterward felt awkward, until Danny walked up to me. "Uh, want to come over to my house for a Splatoon session?"

"I can't today," I answered. "My parents are over at my place tonight, and I'm expected back home early."

Danny didn't look too disappointed, fortunately. "Oh, okay," he responded. "Maybe tomorrow?"

"Yeah," I replied as I started to leave. "Tomorrow."

As I said goodbye to everyone and started to leave, it dawned on me that my backpack was back at school, as were everyone else's. I knew I couldn't just walk all the way back there to get my backpack, so I figured I could claim it tomorrow.

However, I hadn't gone very far when I heard the sound of an engine. I was about to dismiss it when I started to realize it wasn't a plane engine. No, this engine was making the same sound as the engine of Eggman's hovercraft. This could only mean that Bokkun was right. Eggman had arrived.

But his hovercraft's engine wasn't the only one I heard. There were several other tiny motors, all sounding similar to drones or RC helicopters. We all looked to the skies to see the rotund doctor himself, a swarm of Buzz Bombers, and a group of spherical robots flying into the ballpark.

"Run!" I shouted to everyone. I sprinted for the ballpark's parking lot, as did several other students. We had to get away from this madman. I knew that he was going to succeed where E-51 had failed.

"Ah-ah-ah!" chided Eggman, wagging a finger. "You're not going anywhere."

Just then the spherical robots banded together, and a pink glow formed around them. Before I knew it, the glow expanded until it created a field that completely enveloped the ballpark, trapping us inside with Eggman.

The doctor lowered his vehicle to the ground and climbed out. As he bore down on E-51, I noticed that he was wearing a large tool belt.

"Why did you choose to be defective?" he asked in a dangerous tone. "Why aren't these kids indoctrinated yet, and what is this I hear about you protecting them from me?"

E-51 stood his ground, even getting between us and Eggman. "I know the truth," it declared. "You have no authority over these juveniles. I will defend them until the day that I am-"

"Some lousy guardian you are," interrupted Eggman as he pulled a device from his tool belt and pressed a button. Immediately E-51's LED eyes dimmed to blackness.

I looked away. If I had to guess what color Eggman's heart was, I would say he doesn't really have one. If I didn't like him before, that hatred went through the roof. The Buzz Bombers flew closer to prevent us from potentially escaping while Eggman opened a hatch in the front of E-51 and began to tinker with its programming.

"So your Chaos Control module went off prematurely..." he mused as he worked. I could hear a few of the kids starting to cry, but not me. I was too scared to break down like that. I knew that Sonic and his friends would come to my aid, but when? And did they even know where we are?

A grueling five minutes later, Eggman finally closed E-51's maintenance hatch and reactivated it with the same tool he used to shut it down.

"Front and center!" Eggman ordered. E-51 attentively faced its creator.

"Sir!" E-51 saluted.

"What is your mission?" Eggman asked in a militant tone.

"My one and only objective is to train soldiers for Dr. Eggman, sir!" Eggman chuckles before turning to us. It was time to face the music.

"You may have managed to sway my Drill Sergeant with your finite knowledge of the Eggman Empire, but allow me to present to you the _real_ truth of its glory! After-school detention begins right now. If you behave like the good little kids I know you are on the inside, I might let you go home early."

"No!" a girl shouted. "I'm going home right now!" She tried to run toward the force field, but a small electric shock made her jump back in surprise.

"You may not leave the premises," E-51 warned.

Now I was well and truly stuck - and my parents were expecting me back home right now. Oh Sonic, where are you?

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

It was nearly 4:30 back home. Ella was busying herself in the kitchen with supper preparations. Chris was still not home, and it was an hour after the time he usually returns home. Nelson was figuratively pacing a hole to China in the living room floor, while Lindsey and Chuck were sitting on the couch. Everyone was, needless to say, worrying about Chris.

Finally Nelson broke the silence. "He should have been home an hour ago."

Chuck sighed. "I know."

"It's not like him to stay after school like this," continued Nelson.

"That's what worries me," Lindsey replied. "He doesn't have too many friends who could keep him after school. Oh Nelson, what if he's been involved in an accident?"

Nelson stopped pacing. "Then I'm sure security will get a hold of me once they find out."

Silence reigned in the room once again, and Nelson sat down.

"You seem quiet about this, Dad," he noted, to which Chuck smiled slightly.

"Oh, I'm confident Chris will make it back in one piece," he responded matter-of-factly as he stood up. "I need to step out for a bit."

"Where are you going?" Lindsey asked.

"To the car," he smoothly lied. "Nelson, don't call security yet. I want to see if Chris is still at school."

"Uh, okay," Nelson replied, thoroughly confused at this turn of events.

Chuck left through the side door and walked briskly to the garage. No, time was of the essence, so he broke into a run. Good thing that, for a man in his sixties, he was still really fit.

He had a feeling he knew what really went down at the school. He figured Eggman was responsible for Chris' unprecedented delay in returning home. Privileges aside, he knew that Chris' parents wanted him to go to and from school like other children. Tanaka could easily just pick him up in the family limo, but that would make the other kids jealous. Also, just because he was one of the richest children on Earth did not mean he could stay out on his own without his parents' permission. It was a dangerous world out there, and with the added threat of Dr. Eggman, things had just just been made even worse.

If there was one person who could find Chris quickly, it was Sonic. Sure, Chuck knew that Nelson's security could find him, but Sonic could find him way faster. He was determined to ask him to do it.

He reached the garage and saw Sonic just beginning to stand up upon seeing him.

"You're thinking about Chris too?" he asked in a somber tone. Chuck nodded.

"It's been an hour," he responded, "and I personally believe that Dr. Eggman may be involved in his delay."

Sonic became more alert. "It's about time I searched for him," he said. "I'll bring him back safe and sound, Chuck. Eggman won't lay a finger on him when I'm around." And with that, he took off with the kind of speed that earned him the title "fastest thing alive". Chuck was nearly blown over by Sonic's sudden speed, for which he was grateful.

Chuck was also grateful that Sonic knew where the school was. Taking a look up at his lab window, he know he needed to do something about supper for the Mobians. He had been spending a lot of money catering fast food to them, and Ella and Tanaka were becoming suspicious. But he really didn't have much of a choice.

He opened the garage door and headed up the stairs to his lab. Upon entering, he saw that Tails, Amy, Cream, and Cheese had finished their game and were just putting down the books they were reading. They looked just as solemn as Chuck did.

"So it's true that Eggman went after Chris at his own school?" Tails asked.

Chuck looked down. "I'm afraid so."

Amy stood up, a fresh wave of anger sweeping over her. "That is extremely low, even for Eggman," she stated.

"I know," Chuck almost whispered as he sat in his unoccupied desk chair. "That's why I asked Sonic to look for him. He was thinking the same thing himself." He pulled his cell phone from his pocket. "In the meantime, it's time I got supper for you guys. Does Carl's Jr. sound good?"

Tails nodded. "Sure."

"Chuck, I don't mean to be rude," Amy began, "but when do we get to eat real food?"

"I really don't know," answered Chuck. "It could still be another week at the least, but it all depends on circumstances. I will continue to sneak you leftovers whenever I can. Try to be patient for just a little longer, okay?"

Amy sat back down. "Okay..." she relented.

Chuck began to dial the number for the local Carl's Jr. Questions swirled in his mind, but the one that led them all was whether Chris was safe. He hoped that Chris would be found fast before it was too late.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

Minutes later, our entire class were just sitting on the ground, almost literally mindlessly sketching pictures of Dr. Eggman, courtesy of E-51's reworked mind control module. Apparently Eggman had brought the drawing pads and pencils from his base, and I hated to admit that the pictures were actually pretty good.

While we drew, Eggman went on and on about what the Eggman Empire was like.

"...so as robots, you won't have to worry about sorrow, pain, or all that emotional stuff. However, if you are obedient, I can treat you with first-class tickets to the best rides in Eggmanland, which is guaranteed to be tailor-made for children like you. I will admit, you are smart children, but no amount of propaganda that hedgehog spews from his mouth will make you refuse my offers. However, if I _do_ decide to roboticize you, I'll make sure you get amazing weapons..."

Get the point? This guy is boring as toast. While my body said yes to Eggman and his new reform to the point of nodding a little, the sane part of my mind screamed no. There was nothing I could do to protest. I couldn't even speak. All I could do was draw a picture of this madman.

After what felt like weeks, Eggman finally walked over to me. Why me out of everyone? I think it was because he knew Sonic was living with me.

"I didn't catch your name earlier. What is your name?"

Completely against my will, I put down my drawing pad, stood up, and saluted. "My name is Christopher Thorndyke, Doctor Eggman sir!" I stated in a militant manner. Eggman nodded in satisfaction befoe returnign to his original position.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that no one even turned to me. Their eyes were glued on this sicko, almost eager for what more he has to tell us. Why is this happening? Did Sonic even know where I was? I really hoped that he would find me before I completely lost my mind to the likes of Eggman.

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

Filled with determination, I ran for all I was worth toward the school I knew Chris attended. I couldn't believe Eggman had the guts to stoop this low. I mean, Chris is just a kid. Eggman shouldn't have picked on him like this. This had to end right now.

Reaching the school, I spotted a pine and scaled its boughs before quickly scanning the school grounds. There wasn't a single sign of Chris... or any other child for that matter. I knew he couldn't be still inside the school, as there were police everywhere. They must have searched every square inch of the place. Straining, I could pick up bits and pieces of their conversation with another man who must have been Chris' teacher.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Stewart, but we haven't been able to find a single trace of your class."

"But they're not dead! If I was teleported, then so were they!"

"Sir, we're doing everything we can to find them. Chances are good they don't know you were teleported, so they must think you were..." He let the sentence hang in the air.

Another officer ran up. "There appears to be an energy barrier in the municipal ballpark not far from here. I think Dr. Robotnik may be involved."

That settled it. All I needed to do was find a pink force field in a ballpark. Easy, right?

I leaped out of the tree and left the vicinity of the school before the officers could turn their heads. I didn't know where the ballpark was from here, but I knew to look for a pink force field. The officer said it wasn't far from here, but because I didn't know this city as well as I probably should, I'd just have to take him at his word.

Taking a giant leap into the air, I quickly studied my surroundings. Then I spotted it - a pink energy dome a few hundred yards to my left. That was where Eggman was holding Chris.

I landed on the ground and sprinted toward the ballpark. Once I arrived, I spotted dozens of Buzz Bombers both inside and outside the force field. Additionally, several modified Buball units were generating the force field. I cracked my knuckles. Time for some bot bashing.

I spun forward and targeted the Buzz Bombers first, since they were armed and the Buballs were not. As I dodged the lasers the Buzz Bombers fired, I spotted the whole class inside the force field drawing something on sketch pads. So he managed to detain _all_ the kids and instill propaganda upon them...

I destroyed the last of the Buzz Bombers outside the force field the moment the other bee Badniks inside of it flew out to attack. As I predicted, they all started firing at me at once. I ran from them, but backflipped and home-attacked them, destroying them easily. It almost seemed as though they didn't put up much of a fight.

My next focus were the eight Buballs generating the force field. One spin and eight destroyed E-Series robots later, the shield was down, leaving nothing between me and the bid bad doctor. It was time to crack the Eggman wide open once again, and this time, I wasn't going to joke around.

I ran right up to him. "What is going on here?" I asked in a dark tone.

Eggman, trying not to show fear, cowered back a little and held up his hands. I swear I could see a sweatdrop. "Now now, Sonic, this isn't what it looks like..."

I didn't buy it. "Brainwashing the kids, are we now? Is that why they haven't noticed me this whole time?"

Eggman grinned a twisted grin. "Why yes. Yes, it is. E-51, ATTACK!" he roared.

In a seemingly awkward moment, the teacher-like robot guarding the kids hesitated. "I am not programmed for direct combat."

"Oh, aren't you?" Eggman countered. He was really starting to get miffed. "Well, you've got mini missiles! Use them!"

"Affirmative," it responded.

As a hatch in its top opened, I spun toward it to destroy the robot, but it moved backward, causing me to miss. It fired eight tiny missiles from the hatch into the air. They slowly arced back toward me. I broke into a run, easily able to outrun the speeding projectiles. That was when I came up with an idea.

Basically, it's just missiles + robot = big old explosion. I jumped out of the way of the missiles just in time as they collided with E-51. That was when I realized one tiny flaw: the kids couldn't move out of the way and dodge the shrapnel in time. I had to atone for this.

At the exact moment the explosion went off, I planted myself between the robot and the class. The shrapnel could fly far, even though we were about twenty yards apart. Sure enough, shrapnel flew our way, and I refused to move, even when I took several hits. Bits of shrapnel cut parts of my abdomen and right arm. It hurt, but not as bad as I thought it would. I did it for the kids, for Chris. Good thing there wasn't any shrapnel embedded in me.

In the moments that followed, the children slowly put down their drawing pads, stood up, and started regaining their bearings, evidence that the mind control event was over.

Eggman was irritated by the destruction of his robot. "You haven't seen the last of me, Sonic," he growled. To my surprise, he walked right up to Chris and pinned an Eggman-themed sticker. "A reward for your cooperation," he explained before heading back to his Eggmobile. I watched him start up the motor and fly away. The danger was finally over, at least for now.

I turned back to the kids. The majority was facing me, while the rest was staring at the sticker on Chris' shirt.

"Is everyone okay?" I asked. Just about everyone replied yes, which is definitely good news.

"Why did Dr. Eggman put that sticker on Chris?" asked the red-haired girl in overalls near Chris. "That seemed completely unnecessary."

I couldn't think of a reason myself. "Eggman rarely does something for nothing. That sticker must mean something. I'll look into it."

The dark-skinned kid on Chris' other side looked awe-strucken at my heroics. "Who are you?" he asked. I cockily rubbed my nose.

"Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog," I answered hastily as I stepped toward Chris. "Now if y'all don't mind, I really gotta get Chris home; his parents are worried sick. See ya around!"

I scooped up Chris and ran back toward his house.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

Literally eleven seconds later, Sonic dropped me off just inside the closed gates of home and put me down behind a hedge, so that we were out of sight of the mansion's windows. He looked me squarely in the eye.

"Are you okay?" he asked again.

I was panting from the sudden adrenalin rush. "Y-Yeah, I'll be fine. Today was a really strange and scary day."

"I bet," Sonic responded sympathetically as his attention turned to the sticker pinned to my shirt. "Can't let your parents see this," he mumbled as he peeled it off. He was just about to crumple it until he noticed that the Eggman logo was a tab. He peeled it back and squinted at what I thought at writing.

"What does it say?" I asked.

Sonic hesitated, as if debating whether to read what the note said. Finally he just pocketed the note (do Mobians even have pockets?) and gave a short smile. "Nothing for you to worry about," he said.

That was when I noticed that...

"You're bleeding," I whispered. I knew it was from when he protected us from the shrapnel, but I didn't know that Mobians could bleed. Sonic was so brave.

But Sonic shrugged it off. "Oh, I'll be all right," he dismissed. "Now you head on inside and see your parents, okay? I'll be back to see you tonight."

"Okay," I nodded before taking off for the house. I watched as Sonic darted to the garage in the blink of an eye and leaped onto the roof before lying down on it. I was grateful that have a unique kind of friend who was willing to watch out for me. When I made that wish upon the star, I had gotten way more than I had bargained for - in a good way, of course.

I ran up the front steps and, finding the double front door unlocked, opened them and ran inside. "I'm home!" I called.

The next thing that came was the scurrying footsteps of my parents as they practically ran from the living room to see me.

"Oh Chris," Mom said as she hugged me maybe a little too hard. "You're home!"

"I knew you'd make it back in one piece," Dad half-joked. Yeah, I guess I am lucky to be in one piece after all that has happened today.

Finally we broke out hug. "I hate to pry, dear, but what kept you after school? And where's your backpack?"

I struggled for a workaround. I should have seen this coming.

"Ah... Well... I was just playing baseball in the nearby ballpark with a few friends and got caught up in a long chat with them. And I forgot to bring my backpack home. I must have left it in the locker." At least what I said wasn't a total lie.

Dad nodded. "That's fine, Chris, but please try to come home earlier next time. You had us very worried."

"I know, and I will," I promised. Looking up at the grandfather clock, I saw that it was nearly five.

"Is Grandpa in the lab?" I asked.

"He said he was going to take the car and look for you," Nelson answered. "I should probably call to let him know you're back." He pulled out his phone and began dialing a number.

At that moment an overjoyed Ella stepped out of the kitchen. "Chris, you made it!" she joyfully exclaimed as we hugged. "I'll go get a plate ready for you right away!" And with that she excitedly headed back into the kitchen.

I was a little confused. "Oh, we're having supper early?" I asked Mom as we headed into the dining room.

"Yes," she responded. "Ella insisted we have a early supper just to say we were able to eat here in case we were called out to our jobs again."

Upon entering the dining room, I saw Tanaka standing by. He smiled upon seeing me.

"Welcome home, Master Chris," he greeted. "I knew you would return safely. Your place has been prepared for you."

"Thank you, Mr. Tanaka," I responded as I sat down.

Over the next several minutes, Dad returned, and Ella served me, Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Mr. Tanaka, and herself before they sat down. Grandpa joined us a minute later, and we soon began eating.

"You know, I wasn't the least bit worried about Chris," Grandpa said after swallowing a bite of Ella's homemade meat loaf.

"Me neither," Nelson replied. "You know, I used to stay after school for a long time as well."

"Well, that was during your high school years," corrected Grandpa.

"Come on, I wasn't _that_ bad!" laughed Dad. "But seriously, Chris, try to take better care of yourself, okay? For all we know, you could have been in a lot of danger and we wouldn't have even known."

"I was _this_ close to calling the news crews and emergency hotlines about you," Mom partially joked.

"Lindsey!" said an exasperated Ella. "There's no need to be worried about him any longer." Lindsey nodded.

"Oh, she's just exaggerating," Nelson explained.

At that time, the conversation shifted to Matt's arrival the next day, and Ella, Tanaka, Nelson, and Lindsey did most of the talking. They would never knew I was actually in danger that day, and I wouldn't tell them. I couldn't risk them learning that Sonic was here, at least, not quite yet. They couldn't know that I was nearly brainwashed by Eggman.

As I continued my meal of stir fry and meat loaf, I was grateful to Sonic for finding out about my prolonged absence in time.

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

It didn't take long for Chuck to leave the garage and return to the house, having served me and my friends some more fast food. Tonight was Carl's Jr, and I knew they had some really great burgers. Sure, chili dogs are undeniably my favorite food, but a guy's gotta have other tastes as well.

I leaped down to the ground and headed inside the garage, brushing away the thought of how humorous I found the Sonic drive-in restaurants. It was time to tell my friends of what happened today. So much was on my mind. So many questions waiting to be paired with answers.

Upon entering the lab, I saw Tails, Amy, and Cream sitting on the beanbags, enjoying their meal. Cheese was sharing with Cream, and there was an untouched meal waiting for me.

"Sonic," Tails greeted. "Did you manage to get-" He stopped when he noticed something about me was different.

"Sonic, you're bleeding!" Amy exclaimed as she ran over to hug me, being careful not to get any blood on her dress. "Tell me what happened to you!" she demanded.

"It's really no big deal," I shrugged, glad that Amy's hug wasn't as tight as most of them are. I watched as Tails got the first-aid kit down from a shelf and handed it to Amy.

"But it has to be!" Amy insisted. "Those look like some deep cuts."

"Are you okay, Mr. Sonic?" a concerned Cream asked.

"Chao chao?" Cheese echoed. The Chao surveyed my wounds before turning away, not able to stand the sight of blood.

"Yeah, never better," I answered as Amy began bandaging my wounds. I decided to let her do this; there's no need to refuse a service from any of my friends, that is, unless Amy asks me out on a date right now. "All I did was take a little robot shrapnel for the kids. And before you ask, yes, I got Chris back."

It took the others a little while to process what the hedgehog had just said.

"Then that definitely means Eggman was involved," deducted Tails.

"Sonic, you are so brave. You know that, right?" Amy praised, to which I chuckled a little. "But what was he even doing at Chris' school?"

"I think he was trying to brainwash Chris' class into supporting him," I recalled. My friends' eyes widened. "I'll have to hear his side of the story tonight. But that's not all."

I took a deep breath, preparing for the next part of this conversation.

"I have reason to believe Eggman was targeting Chris specifically."

A shocked silence fell across the room. I don;t think they could believe Eggman would even do that. At last Cream spoke.

"But... why?" she asked.

"I think it's to get back at Chris for taking the Chaos Emerald last week."

"I know," I nodded. "Maybe he also wants to establish himself as an enemy in his like because of that. Additionally, Eggman attached a sticker to Chris' shirt that carried a warning message." I produced the sticker and handed it to Amy and Tails. "I didn't read it to Chris. Don't want to worry him any more than he already is, you know?"

For the curious, the note read, _"If you are reading this, then this child has established himself as one of my top adversaries. I will learn more about him so I can be prepared for what he has in store next. None of you are safe from me, not by a long shot. The Eggman Empire will prevail!"_

"I... I can't believe it," Amy finally said after reading the note and handing it to me. I promptly ripped it up and threw it in the trash can.

"What did it say, Mr. Sonic?" asked Cream.

"Eggman just made Chris one of his enemies," I summarized. By this time Amy had finished bandaging me. My friends started to get riled up by Eggman's warning and all the recent events.

"This is the third time this week that's that Chris has been in a life-or-death situation," Tails said in an agitated tone.

"This time didn't seem so bad, but yeah, I hear you," I responded.

"He can't even go to school without his life being threatened!" fumed Amy.

"This isn't right!" Cream added.

"Chao!" Cheese echoed.

There was a pause. All of today's thoughts amounted to what I was about to say. I cleared my throat.

"Listen," I began, "I've been thinking all day about how Chris needs protection. Today was the straw that broke the camel's back. So I want to form a pact - we should all protect Chris for as long as we are on this world."

Tails nodded somberly. "Yes," he whispered. "If Eggman is going after him personally now, then he will definitely need to be kept safe."

"Eggman even threatened him with roboticization, all because he took the Chaos Emerald from him!" Amy added.

I nodded. Eggman may not have had a roboticizer now, but he could very easily build one.

"Starting tomorrow, I'm going to secretly follow Chris to and from school to make sure nothing happens along the way," I said.

"That's a good idea," agreed Tails. "And we're all going to make sure he will never be alone like he was before we got here."

I nodded. "We'll be Chris' friends forever. And I can guarantee he couldn't be in better hands than ours."

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

A few hours later, it was already bedtime. We had spent our time after supper playing board games. Additionally, I had a session of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with Dad, and managed to beat him a couple of times! But soon after desert, it was already time to hit the hay.

Bedtime preparations went by rather quickly. In fact, this whole day had done by too quickly. I still wondered how I lost a whole eight hours just like that. I knew it had to do with... I forgot the term again! I would have to ask Sonic when I saw him tonight.

So after Mom tucked me in, we exchanged good nights, and she shut the door. Man, I _really_ missed when she said good night to me. It must have been since Christmas. Also, I know I may be a little old to be tucked in, but I know how much she and Dad like to pamper me, so... yeah.

A few moments after Mom left, I quietly slipped out of my bed and padded toward the balcony door. I opened it and stepped out onto the balcony. It was cool September night, but not enough to chill me, which was good.

I began wondering what Sonic wanted to say to me. I knew he didn't know my side of the story. Maybe there was more to the scheme of things than I thought.

I was just about to call to Sonic, but he had already heard me.

"Good, you're still up," he whispered as he carefully jumped down to the balcony. He took a seat at the small table and beckoned me to sit with him.

"So tell me," he began, "what all happened at school today?"

"It was weird..." I recalled. "The robot you destroyed earlier entered through the door as anyone else would, and teleported my teacher Mr. Stewart out of the classroom. At the time we thought the robot killed him until he told us that he was teleported... I haven't seen him since."

Sonic nodded. "Well, you don't need to worry about him any longer. Chuck was on the phone with the police and Mr. Stewart after I saved you. He let them know that all the students are safe."

"That means Mr. Stewart is safe as well," I deducted.

"Yup. So what else happened?" he asked.

"So the robot, which I think was called E-51 Drill Sergeant, started to lecture us on what he called the truth behind the Eggman Empire, but all of us resisted him. We told the Drill Sergeant things like he doesn't have to work for Eggman, and, thanks to my first-hand knowledge, actually started to tell _him_ the real truth. Then suddenly, the robot somehow teleported himself and all of us through time and space to the ballpark. Somehow I managed to miss a whole eight hours?"

Sonic was puzzled. "I don't think Chaos Control works like that."

"So _that's_ what it's called... Yeah, it felt really strange, and Dr. Eggman said the Drill Sergeant was malfunctioning. Today felt like a really short day."

"I can imagine," sympathized Sonic.

"But anyway," continued Chris, "we found ourselves playing baseball with the robot. I really wanted to go home, but couldn't move a muscle. It was as if all my free will was taken."

"So the Drill Sergeant mind-controlled you into playing baseball?" Sonic questioned. "That doesn't sound like Eggman at all, unless that was how it was malfunctioning."

"I think it was malfunctioning that way, because a robot I found very annoying attempted to remind the Drill Sergeant of its real goal. I was surprised when he responded that he would protect us no matter what Eggman did." Here Sonic looked thoughtful. "Then that annoying robot yelled at me to not interfere in Eggman's plans, and to be good and listen to my teacher."

Sonic chuckled, a reaction that confused me. "Sounds like you really struck a nerve with Eggman. Also, that robot you described is Bokkun. He's a courier robot with a bad taste in pranks, most of which involve exploding TVs. He didn't use any of those, right?"

"No," I recalled. "It didn't explode, but he did show the Drill Sergeant a video of Eggman threatening to come down there if he didn't stick with his plan."

Sonic nodded. "What happened when Eggman showed up?"

"This is where it got scary. Eggman deactivated the robot and reprogrammed it so it could obey him again. Then it brainwashed us so we could listen to Eggman and mindlessly draw pictures of him while he talked about the Eggman Empire. Then, not too long before you showed up, he asked for my name, and... and I said my name while saluting him. I thought I was betraying myself."

"Don't worry about it," comforted Sonic. "Even though your body may have supported Eggman, the real you was still fighting back on the inside. Way to go, buddy." There was a pause. "You said the Drill Sergeant would defend you from Eggman?"

"Yeah."

"That's... That's not like Eggman's robots. No, his robots obey ever command of his to the letter. They're not programmed to be so easily swayed by what other people believe. This means that some of his robots have design flaws."

Sonic stood up, stretching as he did. "Thanks for telling me all this, Chris. You know... it struck me that your life has been endangered three times since we came here, and frankly, I'm getting mondo concerned."

"I am too," I admitted. "Sonic, I don't know how much more danger I can take. I've already been a prisoner twice, and... I don't want to be in danger any more..."

Sonic wrapped his hand around my shoulder. "I know," he whispered. "That's why I've been talking with your other friends while you were having dinner. We've all agreed to protect you from Eggman for as long as we're here."

I was elated, to say the least. Overjoyed, I stood up and hugged Sonic, who returned the hug. "Thank you so much, Sonic," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Hey, it's the least I can do for my friends," he responded. We broke the hug.

A huge burden was lifted from my shoulders. Now that Sonic saw the potential of all the danger I might go through in the future, he and his friends- _my_ friends had offered to protect me from Eggman! I couldn't ask for anything more from them.

"Eggman is going to pay for everything he's put you through," vowed Sonic, "but right now, it's time for us to hit the hay."

I turned back to the door as Sonic leaped back to the roof.

"Good night, Sonic."

"Good night, Chris."

I reentered the house and gently closed the door behind me before climbing into my bed. Today had been a strange day, to say the least. I thought I was done for when Eggman began lecturing us. But with Sonic's rescue, my seeing my parents again, and now tonight with Sonic - the day completely turned around in my favor. I was so happy to know that my friends would do everything they possibly could to keep me safe. Yes, today had been a good day.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there you have it - the rewritten Techno-Teacher! I called it "Chris' Family" for two reasons: his parents are visiting, and also Sonic and friends feel like part of the family now!

I wanted to delve into Sonic's brother-like relationship with Chris in this chapter. Inspiration from and kudos to jljj1996, author of "My Brother's Keeper" and "My Brother's Keeper re:TUNED", the best Sonic brotherly love stories _ever_! I highly suggest you give them a read.

Some of the major changes:

 _-No Helen this episode!  
-No hamburglary! The police actually do their jobs here.  
-There is actually security on the scene.  
-More heartfelt scenes with and about Chris in the beginning and end of this chapter.  
-The Drill Sergeant does not willingly turn back to Eggman.  
-Badniks!  
-Now with no more awkward Chris moments!  
-Now with 50% more mind control! (Someone please tell me where that quote is from)  
-Now with 50% more rational parents!  
-E-51 Drill Sergeants wasn't created specifically for this day._

Also, the scene in which Chris recites his name to Eggman was a last-minute addition.

And that's it for this chapter! If you have any ideas for future chapters, feel free to share them! If you have any constructive criticism, or want to point out a plothole or OOC character, feel free to share that as well.

Next up is "Party Hardly", where I'll introduce our long-awaited OC, Matt Thorndyke! More on him in next chapter's author's notes! Also, remember those two math problems in this story? The answers to those will be revealed in the next chapter's author's notes as well!


	7. Reunion

_Chris' Cousin Appears! The Thorndykes' Giant Reunion Party_

 ** ** ** **Note (2/15/20): In a few months, this chapter will be updated to reflect my current writing style, as well as fix some errors.********

 **A/N:** Surprise! I know you weren't expecting an update only three weeks after my last one, but I really had a head for this story. However, this chapter is shorter than my others. After my edit, it just barely made it into the 15,000-word club. Before, I don't think it was even at 14,500.

If you're reading my other stories, Super Mario Bros: The Novelized Comic and Logical Mario are on hold until I finish If Bowser Ran Nintendo, which only has one or two chapters to go. Also, this story now officially has more than 100,000 words, more than SMB:TNC.

Who noticed the Sonic movie references I put in the last chapter? I actually had the speed gun in the chapter before I heard about the trailers on CinemaCon, which is before the actual trailer dropped. Did I predict the trailer...? The latte and Everybody Dance Now parts are also references. Those aren't in a trailer now, but I have a feeling they'll be in the second trailer coming maybe July or August, after Sonic is redesigned. I wasn't able to fit a Gangsta's Paradise or child in the bag reference, either. It's better not to force it, you know? Also the two math problems last chapter: the answers are 20 and 8. Congratulations, John, for getting them both right! I'd add a cookie emoji, but I've never seen an emoji in a story before, so...

Anyway, this is the chapter that Matt first appears in. I know a lot of you have been eager to meet him since the beginning of this story (Especially you, Green Seer. I missed you last chapter!), and now you will finally get your chance to meet him!

This was surprisingly not as difficult to write as I thought it would be. The same goes with "The Last Resort" and "Unfair Ball". It's one of my favorites, not only because they made a great episode without Eggman, but it takes place nearly entirely at home sweet home. This is also the reason why "The Castafiore Emerald" is my favorite Tintin story.

Backlog Update: I've just begun the plot for "The Last Resort". I am nearly halfway done the synopsis for "Fly Spy". I am now halfway done the plot for "Heads Up, Tails!"

Also, since I got an incredible NINE reviews after the last chapter, I'm not going to quote the individual reviews here because I know you're all eager to get right to the story. I'll still reply to them, though. Also, I may only have a few thousand views for this story, but I also have about thirty reviews, favorites, and follows each! Thank you, guys!

With that being said, let's get on to the reviews and what matters most: the story!

* * *

 _ **GuardianDragon98**_

Like I said, the last chapter was difficult to rewrite. I added the brainwashing past as a means to remove the children's free will. Otherwise, Eggman could just watch them all get up and leave, and I couldn't have that if I were to follow the original episode's story.

Indeed, Sonic is a true hero. One aspect a lot of the episodes don't have is shrapnel. They only focus on the big ol' explosion, even in space or underwater. I always factor in the shrapnel.

Side note: I was originally going to have Sonic read Eggman's note to Chris, but I decided against it. Why have Sonic worry Chris even more? And that make Sonic an even bigger hero.

I'm actually really looking forward to rewriting "A Dastardly Deed" and "Countdown to Chaos". I have so many ideas for them both. And yeah, I probably will go into detail on that scene with Super Sonic taking all those hits, but it may be for a slightly different, but related reason. Nothing too far-fetched though. But I can't wait for those episodes nonetheless.

 _ **DragonessNehamee**_

Thanks! I try my hardest to make sure Chris is at his best. For best results, don't imagine him voiced by Suzanne Goldish.

I loved writing that last scene. I dreamt of those two last scenes for a while, and I think both are great. Protective Sonic for the win indeed!

 _ **Guest**_

Congratulations, you got both problems correct! Now all you need to do is... GET OUT WHILE YOU...

Not really. :P But I do enjoy adding the occasional challenge, or fun fact in these stories.

 _ **Ryu the Weredragon**_

Thanks for the warning. Matt will replace Chris only for the Metarex Saga. Aside from that, he will be his own character.

I've once seen a now-abandoned rewrite in which Chris was a girl. Then there's Sophia X. Some readers reading this story may also be reading Chaos on Earth, but if you want my opinion, Sophia is almost a Mary Sue who shares just about all of her scenes with Sonic. Additionally, all the dialogue is almost line-for-line. The story has moved to the Sonic X category, where there are fewer stories. I still don't understand how it has over 400 reviews. The author doesn't even care for Sonic as far as I know.

Slander aside, Matt is going to be quite different than Chris. Matt doesn't flaunt his age or independence, and he is more prone to getting angry than Chris is, among some other changes.

So far, I don't think you anything to worry about. But the moment you see Matt become a Mary Sue, let me know and I'll change it.

I guess one reason I don't go into bash mode with this is because I like Chris. He 's a misunderstood character who shouldn't be hated on.

Side note: You're actually the fourth person with "dragon" in their name to review this story. Small world much?

 _ **D.J. Scales**_

Thanks! And sure, feel free to suggest some ideas! If I like them, I'll see if in can implement them into the story.

 _ **Alexandria Prime**_

Thanks! Matt isn't quite a brother, but he is Chris' cousin who is like an older brother to him.

 _ **79003car**_

Thank you very much! I've read numerous so-called Sonic X rewrites and none of them were done right. That's one of the reasons I decided to write this.

Well... I never did consider having BOTH Chris AND Matt in the Metarex Saga. The reason I picked Matt for the Metarex Saga is because I don't want to age Chris; therefore, he would be too young to face the dangers of space. But maybe I could have him first appear in Galactic Gumshoes, in which he was accidentally inside the spaceship sent to Mobius, the one the Chaotix use. If Chris appeared, I'll definitely have Matt and Chris there for each other. But thing seems to be: Matt could steal scenes away from Chris and vice versa. You know what! I'll keep giving it some thought. For the record, I'm keeping the shoe inventions, they're cool, but I don't think that Matt/Chris should make them all by themselves. Maybe with Tails' help, probably. But not alone.

Spin Dashes and Homing Attacks are cool, but yeah, the Blue Blur needs more variety. I've already made arrangements for this next chapter.

I don't know where I could have dedicated training scenes, but I'll definitely reference them. Chris needs all the protection he can get.

 ** _Franco Almiron_**

Thanks!

No, sorry; I'm not a Super Smash Bros. person. But I do like the story idea. It would be great for someone else to write, but not me.

 _ **jr121531**_

Thanks! I'm flattered! And yes, here's another chapter for you. Don't worry, I'm not giving up on this story anytime soon.

You're not weird at all; I'm perfectly safe and healthy here... But only because Eggman is just a video game character.

...Or is he?

* * *

 _Disclaimer: Partying hard may result in overexertion. Partying hardly will work as a doable remedy. Somehow, the title doesn't work for the episode. There is no Hardly in the Party._

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

It was finally here. The day that my cousin Matt was coming to visit.

This was the first thought in my head as I awoke that beautiful Friday morning. Matt was finally coming! I would be able to see him for the first time in four years. He was the son of my father's older brother, and even though he used to live in a different house than me, he was like an older brother to me. He was eighteen when he went off to college, which made me wonder just how much he had grown since I last saw him.

Rising from my bed, I saw that Cream was outside on the balcony, whispering something to Sonic. I had almost forgotten that she had been sleeping in my room. Apparently she had a nightmare last night, and somehow wandered inside undetected seeking comfort. She had been looking for Chuck, who spent last night sleeping in the house instead of out in the lab like he sometimes does. But instead of finding him, she ran into me instead. Good thing I was just coming back from a bathroom trip when she entered the house; otherwise, there would have been trouble in the form of premature detection.

Sonic had no idea she was inside, and apparently Tails and Amy did not notice her disappearance as well. Upon telling me that she had a nightmare, I invited her and Cheese to sleep in my room. They accepted, and it was upon my shoulders to make sure she had a place to sleep. But there was only one bed in the room, which was a full-size bed. Fortunately, it was wide enough to comfortable fit me, Cream, and Cheese. I had gone to sleep quickly afterward. Now I understand there's a thing about boys and girls sleeping in the same room, but I was left with little choice, and my heart was too pure to not let her sleep with me.

When Cream finished telling Sonic whatever it was she wanted to tell him, he nodded, said something back, leaped off the balcony, and ran off before I could process what was happening. I wanted to know what it was she was saying, but I decided not to pry.

Just then Cream opened the door and stepped back into the room, Cheese floating beside her. Upon seeing me, she smiled.

"Good morning, Mr. Chris!" she greeted.

"Good morning, Cream," I responded as Cheese floated around me, making Chao sounds or whatever they're called on Mobius. "Did you manage to get back to sleep last night?"

Cream nodded. "Yes. Thank you for letting us sleep with you."

"You're welcome," I smiled. "I need to get ready for school now. Both of you, could you please stay in this room until I come back? Or, better yet, wait for Sonic or Tails to come take you back to the lab."

"But Mr. Chris," she answered, "the lab is getting boring."

"I know," I sympathized, "but hopefully this won't be for too much longer. Soon you'll be free to go wherever you want."

Cream sighed. "Okay, Chris..."

I grabbed my school clothes from off the dresser and headed to the bathroom to change. Normally I changed in the bedroom, but since I had guests, I had to make a change of plans. I secretly hoped that Ella and Tanaka wouldn't find out about the existence of Sonic, Tails, Amy, Cream, Cheese... and Eggman...Who am I kidding? That's a bit of a stretch. Of _course_ they'd know they existed somewhere. That was a no-brainer. Why else did Ella think I had a fever after the Citadel incident? Why else did Tanaka look more alert than before?

No, I knew I couldn't do anything to prevent them from learning they existed at all. Instead, I didn't want them to find out the Mobians are staying here of all places. Even though they somehow went undetected for two whole weeks, I knew Ella and Tanaka wouldn't take it too well. I could be punished for helping to harbor alien specimens. They could be captured, and Grandpa could go to jail. This had to be settled fast.

After I finished dressing for school, brushing my teeth, and otherwise getting ready for the day, I headed back to my room to get my backpack... except I had forgotten that it's still at school. I would have to carry my stuff in something else.

Upon reentering, I saw Cream, who looked alert until she saw me. I gave her and Cheese a half smile.

"I'm sorry, Cream, but this isn't what I want either. But it'll have to be like this for the time being."

"I know, Mr. Chris," she responded. I picked up another bag that I had brought in last night. Before heading out the door, I turned around.

"Listen, if anyone besides your friends or my grandfather enters this room, you both need to hide immediately, okay?" I couldn't risk bearing the consequences of their discovery.

"Okay, Mr. Chris," she nodded.

"Chao!" agreed Cheese.

"Okay, I'll see you around 3:30. Bye!"

"Goodbye!" Cream called after me.

"Chao chao!" Cheese echoed, waving one of his stubby little arms. I couldn't resist a smile as I closed the door.

I headed downstairs, glad that I was able to sneak Cream and Cheese some food before I left. I didn't want to leave them to go hungry. I wasn't that cruel.

Then I remembered: Mom and Dad were here. This was the first time they stayed overnight in just over two years. I headed toward the kitchen for breakfast before school.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

It was no longer necessary for Chris to tell Tails and Amy to stay hidden in the lab; they knew the drill. However, on most days, he still found time to visit them before school. Today was not 'most days'. Last night Chuck had slept in the house, and this morning Sonic was out and about doing who knows what, so Tails and Amy basically had the lab to themselves. Amy was lying on the bed, reading one of the _Lord of the Rings_ books, and Tails was sitting in Chuck's seat, fiddling with the Miles Electric. However, Amy seemed absent-minded; Sonic had just abruptly run off. Where was he going and why did he leave all of a sudden? Additionally, Cream had vanished, presumably to go inside for something. Maybe another nightmare? They did seem to be common in kids her age.

Tails broke the silence. "It's not going to be too much longer that we need to hide from the world."

"I hope so," Amy replied without looking up from her book. "It's sooo boring being up here all day."

"Tell me about it," echoed Tails. "But on the bright side, at least Eggman hasn't shown up since yesterday, so Chris can finally have a break from danger."

Amy nodded. "That's good," she said. "I hope today at school is better for him than yesterday."

Just then their ears perked up at the sound of humming from outside.

"Is that Cream?" Amy asked.

Tails stood up. "I thought Chris told her not to go outside where others could see her," he said in dismay as he walked over to the window. Amy got off the bed and joined her friend.

"And we can't call to her or else we'll get spotted as well," she lamented.

Sure enough, Cream wasn't in the bedroom where she was supposed to be. Instead, she was out in the mansion's beautiful, spacious garden, picking several daisies. Amy knew what she was doing, since she had known Cream longer than Tails did.

"I think she's going to make flower crowns," Amy commented.

"Looks like it," agreed Tails. "But who is she making them for? The only people she knows around the house are Chris and Chuck."

"If that's true, then Chris is gonna be one lucky kid." She smiled. "You know, Cream hasn't made any flower crowns since... since the Phantom War."

"That long?" Tails was astonished.

Amy nodded. "Yes," she answered. "It's a good thing Blaze offered to take her to the Sol Dimension during the war." She paused, a look of regret forming. "If only she had the power to take Miss Vanilla as well..."

"Don't worry, Amy," Tails reassured. "She made it through the war, and what's past is past."

The Phantom War had claimed many lives during its sixteen-month run. Thanks to the valiant efforts of the Resistance, Vanilla was not one of them. Infinite had vanished at the end of the war, and Amy had nightmares of him up until a couple months after the war ended a year ago. They had started shortly after Sonic was imprisoned aboard the Death Egg. Since Sonic wasn't around, she had looked to Knuckles for comfort after the nightmares. He seemed like an older brother figure to her. Yet, even now, she couldn't shake the fact that there was still good in Infinite.

Recovery efforts continued to this day. The war had been very costly, and an entire city had been destroyed at the war's beginning. There had been many battles, including at several village outposts, the Death Egg, Artillery Pyramid, Green Hill Zone, and Capital City. All the damage had amounted to trillions of rings. It would take years to fully recover.

Tails turned to Amy. "Thinking about the war?"

Amy nodded. "I still can't believe we actually made it through that."

Tails continued to watch Cream. He wanted to change the subject to something considerably less harrowing and gloomy. "Ever since arriving here, Cream has been without her mother, yet she hasn't complained once about it." What they didn't know was that Cream had done her crying and lamenting at Area 99.

"Cream is a strong, brave girl," Amy complimented. "She can make it through this."

"I couldn't agree more, Amy," Tails replied.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

I entered the dining room and set my bag down on the table near my place. I sat down and turned to see Mom emerging from the kitchen.

"Good morning, sweetheart!" she greeted. I stood up, and we hugged. "How did you sleep?"

"Fine," I answered. "Where's Dad?"

Mom looked disappointed. "I'm so sorry, Chris, but your father had to fly out early this morning on an urgent business call. He told me to say goodbye to you for him. I hope you're not too disappointed."

"I'll be fine," I shrugged. Correction: I _hoped_ I would be fine. At least I got to see him for a total of over six hours for the first time in eight months. This made me wonder when I would see him again. It could be another four months at best.

"Breakfast will be ready in a few," Mom announced as she ducked back into the kitchen. From experience, I learned that... well... how do I put it nicely? She wouldn't exactly qualify for _Top Chef_ , but at least she's not part of _Worst Cooks in America_ either. I don't want to say her toast is burnt, but imagine buttering a chunk of blacktop and you'd be getting close. ...Actually, it's not _that_ bad, but could be worse, right?

But what she lacks in cooking skills, she makes up for in taste in gifts. On the day we found the first Chaos Emerald, Mom's gifts arrived by mail, just as she had promised. I got a bunch of LEGO sets, mostly Ninjago and Star Wars, as well as a $100 Walmart gift card. To top it off, I also got my favorite cotton candy, which, of course, I shared with my new Mobian friends.

Just then Ella entered the room, and we exchanged hugs and good mornings as well. As soon as she headed into the kitchen, I felt a strange sense of relief. Really, it wasn't that Mom was a bad cook. In fact, she's pretty decent when she isn't rusty is all. I guess years in the movie business could do that to you.

Mom emerged from the kitchen, apparently fine with not cooking for now.

"Excited for Matt coming tonight?" she asked.

"Yeah." These days, my only way of communicating with Matt was texts and the occasional phone call. (Grandpa thought I was a little young to use Skype.)

Suddenly Mom's face lit up. "I've been talking with your father last night, and we agreed that we should throw a party for Matt's arrival! We'll make lots of food, and even invite your Uncle Sam to come too! What do you think?"

"Sounds great!" I agreed. However, this would complicate things with the Mobians, especially concerning Cream, who was still in my room. But I'm not one to turn down a party.

A few minutes later, Ella came in with my breakfast - pancakes and orange juice. I'll tell you, you've never been to Station Square if you've haven't had Ella's homemade pancakes. Glancing at my watch, I saw that I would still have a little time before school. However, I didn't know if I could concentrate for the whole several hours I would be away. Why? Because Matt was coming! My figurative older brother! But I _knew_ I had to concentrate on school, as well as make sure the Mobians stay out of sight of Mom, and eventually Uncle Sam. I hoped it wouldn't be too hard.

How wrong I was...

* * *

 **TIME SKIP.**

Over the past several days, I was really getting to know Danny and Frances better. I learned that one of the reasons Danny was obsessed with Splatoon and anything Nintendo was because his uncle worked there. Additionally, Frances' parents were scientists.

I shouldn't forget to mention that I also met this girl named Helen. She had beautiful blond hair, and was wheelchair-bound. We had met in a Carl's Jr. that past Tuesday, and I was pleasantly surprised that she was in my class. She too was new to the school. She thought she had recognized me there.

She had been visiting her grandparents in Arizona for the past two days, which was why she wasn't in class then. But she was back today, and I had since introduced her to Danny and Frances. Now, the four of us were sharing a table in the cafeteria.

"I heard about what happened here yesterday," Helen spoke.

"Yeah, about that," Danny slowly nodded. "Good thing you weren't here."

"Who was that who saved you?" she asked. "I saw him in the news, but I don't know his name."

"Oh, his name was Sonic the Hedgehog," Frances answered almost dreamily. But only almost. Still, I was glad Amy wasn't here to hear that. I knew how attached she was to Sonic. Speaking of, I decided that it wasn't best to reveal that Sonic was living with me.

"Hey Chris, you still open to playing Splatoon at my place later?" Danny asked.

"Sorry, Dan," I responded, "I can't today. My mom's going to have a party because my cousin's coming to visit. He just finished his last year of college."

"Really?" Danny was intrigued.

"Yeah," I nodded. "She also invited my Uncle Sam Speed as well."

"No way..." Frances tried to refrain herself from squealing. "Sam Speed's your uncle?"

"Y-yeah..."

"That's so cool! Do you know he stopped a carjacker who stole our car last week?"

As much as I wanted to invite Danny, Frances, and Helen to the party as well, I knew I couldn't for... reasons. I couldn't let them see Sonic and the Mobians just yet. Technically they had seen Sonic, but this was different. If they got the opportunity to see the Mobians prematurely, they could tell everybody. The government could ask them what they saw. We could get in trouble, and I didn't want there to be an unnecessary uproar, arrest, or, even worse, experimentation. To think that the welfare of the nation depended on my silence...

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Flapping her large ears, Cream flew back up to Chris' balcony. She had picked several daisies from the garden, content that no one saw her.

She hopped up on the bed and laid the flowers in her lap before counting them. Cheese hovered nearby, studying them as well.

"Chao chao..." he noted. Cream looked up at him and nodded.

"You're right, Cheese," she replied. "I don't have enough flowers."

The small rabbit hopped down from the bed and carefully hid the flowers under it, hoping Chris wouldn't look there. Then she and Cheese headed back onto the balcony before flying back down to the garden. Cream was glad the garden was this close to the balcony. This way, she wouldn't have to walk through the house in order to get there.

However, just as she was about to pick more daisies, she caught sight of movement inside the house.

"Chao chao!" Cheese urged Cream to hide.

"I want to see what's happening in there first..." Cream answered as she carefully crept up to the window. Peering inside, she saw Chris' mother hanging decorations in what she assumed was the living rooms. Usually where decorations are hung, there is a party. Did this mean that Chris' family was going to have a party today? If so, she wanted to help out. Cream loved parties, especially if there was cake involved.

After another moment, Cream returned the garden to resume picking flowers, having completely forgotten about the rule of staying hidden. No, she wanted to help with the party. However, Cheese looked on, knowing this wasn't such a good idea...

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

Call me crazy, but I was glad to be back in school today.

Apparently, after we were warped out of our class yesterday, the police showed up. All classes ended early as the police conducted a thorough investigation of the school. After I was brought home, Sonic reported the missing class to Grandpa, who spoke with the police. That's how I learned that Mr. Stewart was okay. The police concluded that it was safe to reopen school today, confirming the danger was over. A few of the children, including Danny, were interviewed about the scenario. I was somewhat surprised to find I was exempted. After all, I was the one Sonic's staying with, and I was the reason Eggman attacked yesterday. Maybe the government had other ideas? Somehow they knew...?

But anyway, I was finally done school for the day. Nothing went wrong, except for the fact that I got an A- on my science test. Normally I get straight As, but I think I may have been a bit too excited for Matt's arrival...

So I was heading out to reclaim my backpack in my locker, hoping that relatively nothing has changed back home, when I was stopped by my teacher.

"Excuse me, Chris," he called.

I turned to face him, wondering what he wanted to talk to me about.

"Did I overhear you saying something about a party earlier?" he asked out of the blue.

"Uh... yes, you did," I hesitatingly answered. Mr. Stewart smiled a little to try to ease the mounting tension.

"And is it true that your mom's going to be there?" Now he had told me previously that he's a huge fan of Mom's movies. I had a feeling I knew where this was going.

"Yeah, she's hosting the party."

"Okay. I hope I don't come off too weird, but would you mind if I visited tonight?"

"I don't see why not," I answered almost automatically. But on the inside, I could think of _every_ reason why not. First and foremost, Mr. Stewart could easily see one of more of the Mobians. If Sonic was going to be away, then I guess that wouldn't be a problem, at least until he returned. Tails and Amy were probably still in the lab, and I didn't think they would leave if they knew he was there. However, it was Cream I was worried about. She could easily leave the room and be seen by anyone. If anyone saw an alien in our house, then I'm pretty sure that after a lengthy panic attack, they would sound the alarm and bring the government running. That was not something I was going to risk at any cost.

"Will 4:30 be okay?" I asked.

"What time does the party start?" Mr. Stewart inquired.

"Six."

"Yeah, okay," he nodded. "That'll work with my schedule. See you then." With that, my teacher walked away, leaving my head spinning.

How would I be able to get through this? _Could_ I get through this? Just when my stress levels couldn't get any higher...

* * *

 **TIME SKIP.**

I parked my bike just inside the gates, dismounted, and made a run for the front door. I had to walk to school today because of yesterday's incident. My bike had been left there after I was teleported away. I was glad to have finally reclaimed it.

Finding the doors unlocked, I pushed both of them open and entered the house. The doors were always left unlocked so I could easily head inside after school. Tanaka, who was standing in the foyer, nodded at me.

"Welcome home, Master Chris," he greeted.

"Thanks," I returned, just as I saw Mom emerge from the living room with open arms.

"Welcome back, Chris!" she exclaimed as we hugged. "How was school?"

"All things considered, pretty good," I answered.

"'All things considered'?" Mom repeated. "What happened that I need to know?"

"Well... I hope it's okay with you, but Mr. Stewart wants to come to the party."

Mom looked confused. "Who's Mr. Stewart?"

"He's my teacher. He says he's a huge fan of your movies."

"Really?" Mom replied almost excitedly. "What time is he coming?"

"Around... 4:30," I recalled. "Is that okay?"

Mom glanced at her watch. "Well, it's 3:40 now. Oh, this means I need to get ready. Why don't you get dressed too, because it looks like Mr. Stewart's going to be an early bird."

Just then I saw Grandpa appear at the top of the stairs. As he descended, I took note of the four-piece suit he was wearing. He was straining at the collar around his neck, evidence that it was a little tight for him.

"I haven't seen you wear that since the last time Mom and Dad came," I recalled.

"And for good reason," he stated. "I really need to have this collar loosened. Did I hear right that Mr. Stewart's coming today?"

"You did, Dad," Mom answered, using her affectionate title for him even though Grandpa was Mom's father-in-law. She hurried up the stairs at a brisk pace. "I haven't been here in so long that I've forgotten what all is in my wardrobe. What am I going to wear?"

After she left, I started toward the stairs as well. "Grandpa, could you please warn Tails and Amy about Mr. Stewart and Uncle Sam?"

Grandpa nodded. "I'm on it." But as he started toward the living room, he stopped.

"What is it?" I inquired.

"Chris, what are Cream and Cheese doing in the living room?" he asked.

Oh no! They had to have escaped my room while I was in school, and even after I told them not to leave on their own! I was gonna be in so much trouble!

I ran back down the stairs and toward the living room, but Grandpa turned back to me. "Shouldn't you be changing now?" he asked.

"I need to take care of this first," I hastily replied, not slowing my pace as I entered the living room. There were Cream and Cheese, attempting to drape garland over the chandelier, a task that Mom must have abandoned.

"What are you doing?" I hissed, causing then to quickly turn to me. I hoped I didn't scare them, and fortunately, I didn't. "You need to hide."

I ran over and gently pulled them behind the couch, hoping no one saw. Cream was surprised by this necessary turn of events.

"Why are you out here? People are going to see you!" I asked.

"But I don't see what's wrong with that," Cream said.

I sighed, trying to find the right words to explain her situation. "If Ella, Tanaka, or _anyone_ besides me and Grandpa sees you or your friends, they could call the police, and then the government could take you away like they did with Area 99, and then my family could be arrested for harboring..." I stopped. Maybe I was going too far with this. I tried a gentler tone "Look, just try to stay hidden until you can go back to Mobius, okay?"

"But your bedroom got boring, Mr. Chris," Cream tried to explain, "and I only wanted to help you decorate for the party. Besides, you said I could be in your room until you came back, and now you're back."

"Chao chao chao..." Cheese agreed.

Children's logic... can't argue with that.

Just then I saw a motion from the other living room entrance. "Down!" I instructed hastily. Cream scooped up Cheese and ducked behind the couch the moment Ella entered the living room. I tried to act casual, but I don;t know if I did a good enough job hiding my pounding heart, though.

"Cleanup's almost done, baking's almost done, the pie should be ready any minute now..." she mentally went through her to-do list.

Then she noticed me. This was no time to act like I was hiding something, which I undoubtedly was.

"Matt just called," she announced. "He's just arrived at the airport, and should be here within the hour." She noticed my almost pale face. "What's wrong?" she asked.

No time for phony excuses, either.

"I just realized I have less time than I thought. I need to go change." To my joy, Ella bought the white lie, nodded, and left. That was a close one.

I turned back to Cream, who was starting to curiously poke her head out from behind the couch. "Cream, please go back to the lab. I don't think anyone will see you if you go now."

"But I don't to go, Mr. Chris," she protested. "I don't want to hide from everyone any longer."

Things could not have gotten any worse just then. Cheese had been starting to flap his fairy-like wings and levitate above the couch... just as Mr. Tanaka walked in... and noticed Cheese.

Their cover was blown.

I was sunk.

"You don't need to hide from me, Miss Cream and Master Cheese," Tanaka said, taking me completely by surprise. The two Mobians addressed emerged from behind the couch.

"...You found out..." I was in awe. How did he know about them? How did he know their names?

"Indeed, Master Chris," he explained. "I have learned of our new guests through social media, as well as their names through word-of-mouth." He paused for a moment. "Truth be told, I have wanted to formally meet them for some time now."

This was a huge development. If Tanaka knew all along, how come he didn't say anything?

"So you knew all along," I repeated. Tanaka nodded. "Can you please do me a favor."

"Hm?"

"Could you please not tell Ella about any of this for now? She's the only one who doesn't know about them."

Tanaka looked puzzled. "But why wouldn't we tell her? She is part of the family after all."

I thought for a moment. Why _didn't_ I want her to know...? I almost immediately thought of a reason.

"I don't know... I guess it's... I don't feel ready yet..."

Tanaka bowed. "As you wish, Master Chris," he stated. Whew, that went better than I thought...

I turned around to leave, only to find that-

"They're gone!"

Sure enough, Cream and Cheese were no longer in the living room where I had left them. Maybe they had headed back up to my room? No, they couldn't have; Mom was upstairs and could easily see them.

"Can you look for them please? I need to go change."

"Of course, Master Chris," Tanaka agreed before leaving. I left the room and headed upstairs, hoping to encounter Cream and Cheese along the way before anyone else did.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Ella re-entered the kitchen, having finally finished with cleaning the house. This was an awful lot of work to be done on such short notice. She was just in time to finish with the pie and mashed potatoes. Good thing she was naturally a great multitasker.

The party was set to start at six that night and continue for a few hours afterward. It was four now. There was still a lot to do in the kitchen, and Ella knew Matt's favorite triple chocolate cake wouldn't bake itself.

She turned on the mixer and inserted it into the cake batter she had prepared earlier. Hopefully it wouldn't take terribly long to make. Fortunately, all the cooling was about halfway done. This was the busiest she had been since last year's Christmas party.

Not even thirty seconds into her task, she heard Lindsey calling her from the stairs.

"Ella!... Ella!"

"Yes?"

"I can't find my green Versace anywhere!"

"It's not in the closet where it usually is?"

"No, it's not!" Lindsey called back, beginning to sound desperate. Her green dress was one of her favorite party dresses, even though she had literally around a hundred different dresses and gowns to choose from.

"I'm coming!" Ella shouted back before returning to her work.

About a minute later, she finished with the cake batter and turned off the mixer before leaving the room. Almost five seconds later, Cream and Cheese appeared in the other entrance to the kitchen. They were awed at how much food the party would have.

"Look at all this food, Cheese!" squealed Cream.

"Chao chao!" Cheese backflipped in midair in his excitement.

It was true, Cream had been to a few parties in her lifetime, including one in which she helped to celebrate Sonic's 25-year anniversary of being Mobius' number 1 hero. But she had never seen _this_ much food in one place before! From the looks of things, there would be cake, pie, ice cream, meat loaf, lasagna, salad - and that was just the beginning.

But Cream knew they couldn't stay in the kitchen for long.

"We need to go, Cheese," Cream reminded her Chao, who nodded. But as they proceeded toward the other side of the kitchen, Cheese accidentally bumped the bag of flour off the counter, causing it to cascade onto the floor. Now there was flour all over the floor, and the cloud it cause even spread flour onto the back and right side of Cream's dress. She turned around to see Cheese looking guiltily at the mess he had inadvertently created.

"It's okay, Cheese," Cream comforted. "Mistakes happen. Now we just need to clean up the mess."

"Chao..." Cheese replied as he followed Cream toward the lower cabinets. Cream opened cabinet after cabinet until she found what she was looking for - a dustpan and broom. Once locating them, she picked them up and approached the spilled flour. She was just about to get to work when she heard footsteps.

"We need to go, Cheese!" Cream realized.

She quickly set down the dustpan and broom and ran from the room. Fortunately, she did not track flour through the room, as she wasn't close enough to it to do so. They left just in time, for Ella stepped back into the kitchen mere seconds later. Upon seeing the spilled sugar, she gasped. Even stranger, she found a dustpan and broom next to the mess.

Was there an intruder in the house? Or was fate just toying with her? Whatever the case, she sighed and bent down to sweep up the flour.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

Now that I had finished changing into my suit (I hadn't worn it since Professor Pell's son's wedding back in March; good thing it still fit), I left the room and made a beeline for the stairs. I was a little surprised Mom hasn't come out her room the whole time I was up here. Then again, she is often meticulous in her preparation routines.

I hadn't seen Cream at all during my time upstairs. This was a very bad thing. The fresh determination made me nearly run down the stairs. I made sure I was fast enough so that I could descend quickly, but slow enough so that I wouldn't fall. There had been a couple times a few years ago when I had accidentally slipped on the marble stairs. Of course, sliding down the banister was out of the question; my parents and guardians unanimously forbade that.

Once I reached the bottom of the stairs, I started to hear commotion coming from the kitchen. I couldn't tell what was being said, but something had evidently happened. I only hoped a certain pair of runaways weren't involved in this...

I ran into the kitchen, only to find that there was flour spilled all over the floor! I stopped just in time to avoid slipping on it. I knew exactly what had caused this spill.

"Don't come any closer," warned Ella from her spot near the flour. Tanaka was also present with a broom and mop on hand.

"What happened?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

Ella shook her head. "I don't know," she replied. "I found the flour spilled when I came in. I don't know how it couldn't have happened. I know I didn't do it."

I wordlessly walked over to the broom closet just outside the kitchen and pulled out another broom. Notably, Tanaka didn't look very surprised to see the spilled flour now that I let him in on my secret - or rather, he let me in on his secret that he knew about my secret.

"We've got this, Chris," Ella assured me. "I don't want you soiling your suit before Matt comes."

"You're right," I nodded before stepping out of the room.

Looking back, I think it was a good thing I didn't help them right them. I could use this time to search the house for Cream and Cheese, since there was basically nothing else for me to do.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Lindsey had just finished changing into her favorite green party dress. She walked toward the bedroom door and opened it. Only then did she realize she was forgetting something.

Leaving the door ajar, she walked over to her vanity and sat down on the plush stool in front of it. She had forgotten her makeup in her hurry to be ready for the party. Usually she was good with remembering it, but today was a special day, and she had so much on her mind. There was still much to be done to prepare for Matt's arrival, and not much time at all.

It didn't take very long to apply her lipstick, but just as she opened her container of mascara, her cell phone rang.

"Interruptions..." she muttered to herself as she removed her phone from her purse. She hoped the caller wasn't who she thought it was...

But it was.

Sighing, Lindsey pressed the button to answer the call from Director Tim Shaw.

"Hello?" she initiated the conversation.

"Lindsey, I hate to cut your down time short-" She knew it. "-but there's an opening concerning your role in _Christmas Among the Maples_."

"What's that?" Lindsey asked.

"Well... in short, there's been an unprecedented change of plans, and Missy Albinoni has been reassigned to _Ravenhunt_. You've been asked to fill in for her."

Lindsey was astonished. Missy was another famous actress, though not as much as Lindsey. And Director Shaw wanted her to fill in for her?

"We need you to fly out to Los Angeles as soon as possible."

Lindsey thought for a moment. "I'm sorry, Director, but I'm hosting a party for my nephew's return for college. Can't this wait for a few days?"

"Unfortunately, Miss Fair, our schedule isn't flexible to allow that," Director Shaw replied with regret. "We tried to give you a longer break, but _Christmas Among the Maples_ has a tight schedule. We need you to fly out to the press conference at the Four Seasons Hotel in L.A., and be available to shoot first thing tomorrow morning if we are to meet the December 15 deadline."

Lindsey's head was swirling with decisions. Should she stay or should she go? She loved Matt dearly, but she also loved the movie business. Her schedule wasn't very flexible, which left her with one decision and one decision only.

"I'll make arrangements to fly out immediately. What time is the press conference?"

"Ten tonight."

"Very well; I'll be there," she answered.

Lindsey slowly hung up the phone and buried her face in her hands. All composure she had on the phone had left her in this one instant. She had had stress directly involving her career before, including a missed birthday or two, but it was nothing like today. Yet she refused to quit her job because she loved acting.

"I hate being called away from my family all the time," she spoke aloud, being the openly emotional person she was. "I hate it! Not only can I not see Matt after nearly five years... but I can't even stay to be with my own son!" She began to weep as the stress gradually released itself. "Both of you... will you ever forgive me?"

As Lindsey cried, tears threaten to leak from Cream and Cheese's eyes as well. They had witnessed the whole commotion from the doorway of the bedroom. From the sounds of it, Chris' mother loved him so much that she didn't want to return to work just so she could be with him. And even though Cream had never met Matt, it sounded like he was very dear to her.

Cream wanted to come in and comfort her, but knew of her current situation that no human except for Chris and Chuck should see her. So Cream and Cheese left, hoping for the best for the Thorndyke family.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Minutes later, after telling Ella and Tanaka of her latest development, Tanaka was loading Lindsey's luggage into the trunk of the limo. She hated that she had to go so soon. She had looked all over the house for Chris, hoping to say goodbye to him. But her son was nowhere to be found, and time was of the essence, so she asked Ella to search for him. Lindsey needed to leave as soon as possible if she wanted to get to the press conference tonight.

Just then Ella appeared in the doorway, a crestfallen look on her face.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Thorndyke," she reported, "but I couldn't find Chris anywhere."

Putting her phone away, Lindsey walked up to Ella. "Ella, whenever you see him next... please apologize to him for me that I couldn't be there for him... and please also apologize to Matt, Mr. Stewart, and Sam..." She struggled to hold it in when saying this. This was a very trying time for her.

"I will..." Ella replied as she gently pulled Lindsey into a hug. They broke the hug a few moments later.

"Now you have a safe trip, okay?" Ella said.

"I will," Lindsey replied as she headed toward the passenger door of the limo. But just as she was about step in, she caught sight of a rental car pulling up.

She knew exactly who was inside.

Lindsey ran over to the driver's door of the car just as it opened. Out stepped Matt Thorndyke, her handsome nephew. The twenty-two year old was tall, a good six feet two inches, and had blue eyes and dark brown hair, almost black. He was wearing a black designer suit, vest, and dress pants, as well as polished shoes.

"Oh Matthew, my darling nephew, you're home!" Lindsey exclaimed as she hugged Matt, who chuckled.

"It's good to be back, Aunt Lindsey."

After shaking hands with Tanaka and hugging Ella, Matt headed toward the trunk of his car to fetch his suitcase.

"So how are things in Minneapolis?" Lindsey asked.

"Great so far," Matt replied as he pulled his suitcase out of the car and closed the hatch. "I just got my master's degree in electronics, and I'm looking to get a full-time job very soon."

Lindsey nodded. "I hate to break our reunion short, Matt, but I need to get to the airport. There's been a change of plans, and there's a press conference tonight. Ella will get you settled in." She kissed him on the cheek. "I love you lots."

"Love you too, Aunt Lindsey," Matt called, waving. "Bye!"

As Lindsey returned the wave and stepped inside the limo, Matt followed Ella into the house, and she shut the door behind them.

"You're just in time for a surprise party we're having for your visit," announced Ella. Matt couldn't help but smile.

"Ah, thank you," Matt replied. "You guys are the best." He looked around the otherwise empty lobby. "Uh, where's Chris?"

Ella shrugged. "I don't know," she replied. "I've just been looking for him myself. I'm sure he'll turn up." She smiled, gesturing to the stairs. "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. The party starts at six."

"Sure," Matt grinned before picking up his suitcase and heading for the stairs.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

Cream and Cheese were nowhere to be found!

I must have searched all 11,000 square feet of the house for the missing Mobians, but there no sign of them anywhere. My stress levels were through the roof. This was so frustrating!

I returned to the living room and ran out the side door toward Grandpa's lab, the only place left that I knew they could have gone. As I ran, I caught sight of Matt who had just stepped out of his car. He didn't see me, though. _Bad time, Matt... Bad time..._ I thought. As much as I wanted to say hi to him, I needed to make sure Cream and Cheese were hidden away safely. If Matt were to see them... well, there would be a lot of explaining to do. I could get in trouble, and... you know the rest.

I reached the garage, threw open the door, and scaled the stairs in what must have been record time. I pushed the trap door open and looked around, hoping to see any sign of Cream and Cheese, any sign at all. But all I got were blank stares from Tails, Amy, and Grandpa, the sole occupants of the lab. Disappointing...

"Have any of you seen Cream or Cheese anywhere?" I asked desperately.

Tails shrugged. "Weren't they in your room?" he asked.

Now I was getting flustered. "Well, yeah, but now they're nowhere inside, and Matt just came, and-"

"Calm down, Chris," urged Grandpa as he rose from his chair. "We'll get the situation under control. Panicking won't help us."

Tails and Amy nodded in agreement. Grandpa turned to them.

"Amy, Tails, what we are about to do is very risky for you both. I need you to help me conduct a more thorough search of the house for Cream and Cheese. Perhaps they went back inside. As for you, Chris, you should head back and say hi to Matt, maybe stall him a bit."

"Okay," I responded as I carefully descended the stairs. I didn't want to have another mishap like yesterday, especially not on a day like today.

Once I reached the bottom, I sprinted out of the garage and through the yard. The house felt too far away for me. The longer Cream and Cheese remained missing, the more angst and dread filled me. What if Matt had already discovered them? What if he brought everyone running? I couldn't have that. I _wouldn't_.

I burst through the living room door and dashed toward the lobby, finding Matt just beginning to ascend the stairs. Ella was there too, and she was surprised to see my sudden return. I think she might have said " _There_ you are, Chris" under her breath. I guess I was gone too long.

"Matt!" I exclaimed as I ran toward my cousin. I didn't sound as enthusiastic as I probably would have been if this whole missing Mobian situation wasn't going on. He turned around and smiled as we exchanged a hug.

This all seemed awkward, as I knew he was here before he even saw me, and especially since he had no idea my new friends were staying here. I preferred it stayed that way.

"Hey, Chris!" Matt greeted. "Wow, you've grown. How are you doing?" Good. He wasn't suspicious.

"Pretty good," I answered. "How was college?"

"Good on my end as well," he answered. "I finished all four years on electronics. Even though I enjoyed learning about it, I'm kinda glad it's finally done."

Then came the unexpected question.

"Hey, have you seen Doctor Robotnik or Sonic the Hedgehog yet?"

I wasn't sure how to respond at first, before thinking of an answer.

"Uh... yeah, I have... on TV."

He raised an eyebrow, and I thought he was going to become suspicious. But his good demeanor told me there was nothing to dread.

"Cool," he replied before starting back up the stairs. "Well, might as well settle in. I've got some time before the party starts."

Apparently he didn't, as the doorbell rang, causing my anxiety to act up again. It had to be either Sam Speed or Mr. Stewart. Or worse, it was Cream and Cheese forgetting we had the side door and wanted to be let in through the front door...

Matt paused on the stairs, and I figured I would get the door. If it _was_ Cream and Cheese, I figured I could deal with them myself without the extra help of Matt and Ella.

I unlocked the door and opened both of the large oak doors.

"Welcome, Mr. Stewart," I tried to be as hospitable-sounding as possible as my teacher stepped inside. He was holding a bouquet of roses in his left hand, and shook my hand with his right.

"Hello, Chris. Sorry I'm a little late," he replied as he looked around the foyer, impressed at its size. I figured he had never been in a house quite like Thorndyke Mansion before.

"This is my cousin Matt," I introduced. Mr. Stewart turned to my cousin, who was descending the stairs to shake hands with him.

"How do you do? I'm Greg Stewart, Chris' homeroom teacher."

"I'm Matt. Nice to meet you."

With that, Mr. Stewart turned toward the living room, and Ella, who had been standing by, followed him in. Matt was already ascending the stairs once more. With nothing much to do, I went into the living room as well. Basically I wanted to make sure there weren't any Mobians in here, especially since Grandpa was going to take Tails and Amy to check the house again.

"I was told Lindsey Fair would be here?" Mr. Stewart asked as he set the roses down on the coffee table and sank into a loveseat.

Ella shook her head slightly. "No, you just missed her."

 _What?!_

"Oh?" Mr. Stewart looked up.

"Unfortunately, she had to leave on account of a change of plans in her itinerary. She has a press conference in Los Angeles tonight."

"Oh, well, that's a shame," he sighed. "I was kinda hoping she'd be here, as I brought roses. What should I do with them?"

Ella walked over and picked up the flowers. "I'll get a vase for them," she announced as the left the room with the roses. That left just me and Mr. Stewart, who pulled his phone from his jeans pocket and glanced at it.

"Nice house you got, Chris," he commented dryly.

"Thanks," I replied, taking a seat on the couch on the other side of the coffee table. Its back was to the window. I hoped that some small talk would ease my mind and distract Mr. Stewart for a while.

Mr. Stewart took the bait. "Y'know, I knew someone who..."

As he began talking about a friend of his, Grandpa entered the room. He was searching around, and I knew what, or rather _who_ , he was searching for. I couldn't believe they were giving us so much trouble right now.

A moment later, Mr. Stewart noticed Grandpa's persistence. "Looking for something?"

"Ah, it's my car keys," he smoothly lied. "I think my age is finally catching up to me. I hope it's not Alzheimer's..." Way to dodge a bullet, Grandpa.

"Don't worry," Mr. Stewart replied without looking up from his phone. "It can happen to anybody. Need help searching?"

Grandpa shook his head. "No, no, I've got this. Maybe I left them in the dining room..."

Mr. Stewart nodded before Grandpa left the room. That was a close one. I hoped Amy or Tails wouldn't enter this room, not knowing that Grandpa was already here. I don't think either of them knew that Matt was upstairs, which meant he could easily see Cream and Cheese and I wouldn't be there to stop them. That was a risk I had to take, though.

A minute later, Ella returned with the roses and set them down on the coffee table. Then the inevitable happened.

Cream picked that exact moment to emerge from behind the curtain in front of the window behind me. She was holding Cheese, and they froze upon seeing us.

What?! They were here the whole time?! How did I not know about them? Ella's jaw had dropped. She found out, and there was nothing I could do to make her forget what they were seeing.

While I was panicking on the inside, I tried to remain as calm on the outside as possible. I got off the couch and took Cream by the hand.

"Wh-what are you doing, Mr. Chris?" Cream asked, confused at the sudden action.

Ella was even more surprised at the soft high-pitched voice coming from the supposed "stuffed animal" in my possession. Then she got serious.

"Chris, why is a stuffed animal talking? How does it know you? Is there something you're hiding from me?"

I didn't answer right away. I didn't know _how_ to answer. The secret was out, and I was already in trouble. Throwing a glance over at Mr. Stewart, I saw that his eyebrows rose for the slightest moment, but his phone was to us, so I took it he only heard the commotion.

"I'm waiting for an answer," Ella demanded, her hands on her hips.

"I'm here, guys!" came the voice of Uncle Sam from the foyer. Whew...

"Act like a stuffed animal..." I whispered to Cream, who complied with a little hesitance.

"What a day..." muttered Ella as she left the room to see my uncle into the house. Hopefully his arrival would ease some of the skyrocketing tension.

Mr. Stewart seemed to remain mostly emotionless during the entire commotion. Did he know something...? Nah, I guess not. His phone was distracting him anyway.

I attempted to hide Cream behind the side of the couch as Ella and Uncle Sam entered the room.

"So I hear you guys are having a party or something?" Uncle Sam asked.

"You're a little early," Ella answered. A check of the clock in the living room showed it was quarter to five. "This is Chris' teacher Mr. Stewart," she introduced. "Mr. Stewart, this is Chris' uncle Sam." Mr. Stewart sat up a little to shake hands with my uncle.

"I've heard about you," Mr. Stewart commented. "Is what I heard about your constant name-changing really true?"

"Oh yeah," Uncle Sam nodded without hesitation. "Today I'm the Noble of Sonic Speed. When I had one of my biggest cases this year, I was the Highway Star. When I busted a carjacker a couple days ago, I was the Tornado of Station Square. When I stopped a drug bust in a high-speed chase last week, I was the Stormcaller Speed King. You name it, it was my nickname."

I was kinda hoping Uncle Sam would go off on one of his spiels, but he did so anyway.

"But why all the nicknames? I've always wanted to know," Mr. Stewart asked.

"It's just part of the reason I love speed and all things fast," my uncle answered. "I try to never use the same nicknames twice. I came up with them so that no one can keep up with me. And so far, no one can."

He started speaking faster as well. I had a hard time keeping up with him.

"And I don't just stop at driving. I do _everything_ fast! I fall in love quickly, but I also fall out of marriage quickly, 'cause marriage will just slow me down. I fall asleep quickly, but I also wake up quickly, as well as early. I always beat rush hour. In fact, I'm pretty sure I even beat the nurses to the operation room when I was born!"

Mr. Stewart threw a look at me that was like, "Is this guy for real?" I shrugged and nodded.

"But my speed streak was finally rivaled on this day two weeks ago," he said in a more serious tone. "I finally met someone even faster than me. And the weird thing is, I don't think the guy is even from this planet!"

I didn't even need to guess who my uncle was talking about. Mr. Stewart raised an eyebrow, but didn't look up from his phone.

"Uh, what did he look like?" he asked.

"Okay, it kinda resembles a hedgehog in a strange way, and it had these like, long, quill things running down its back, and it wore nothing but white gloves and red shoes. It's impossibly fast, fast enough to even make a sonic boom. In fact, I even needed a new windshield after that night, and believe me, they don't come cheap. I've seen the guy - Sonic, I heard his name is? Real fitting. Anyway, I saw him on the news a couple times since. I heard he even saved a whole class from someone named Dr. Robotnik. You heard about this?"

"Yeah," I responded, hoping that Ella wouldn't be worried that I was the one Eggman was after.

"In fact, I think it was your-"

He caught sight of a flash out the window. There I saw it: Sonic was waving to Cream, who also saw. Sonic was waving to her, a bouquet of flower in hand, before leaping away.

"It's him!" Uncle Sam exclaimed, pointing to the window. By the time Ella looked, Sonic was gone. Thank goodness. Peculiarly, Mr. Stewart showed very little surprise, and he was holding his phone up to the window as if to take a picture. I trust Sonic was too fast for him.

Uncle Sam was still in shock. "That was him!" he exclaimed. "That was Sonic! Did anyone else see him just now?!" I nodded. I didn't want to lie, but rather I wanted to pretend he didn't live here.

"No, I didn't see," Ella answered. "But this sounds like it's related to the talking animal I heard before you gut here." She threw a glance at Cream, who was still confused at what was going on.

"Really?" Uncle Sam said, and Ella nodded. The Noble of Sonic Speed crossed his arms. "Well, that just goes to prove I'm not crazy. I may doubt alien like quickly, but I also believe quickly." Then he changed the subject. "Hey, where's your mother?" he asked me. "Wasn't she going to host the party?"

Suddenly I became very bitter, something that isn't common in me. I had been silent concerning Mom's sudden departure. I voiced my opinion.

"She left _again_ because of her movies. Mr. Stewart wanted to see her, but she _had_ to leave before he even _got_ here. That was _rude_ of her."

Wow. I came out like a complete jerk. The room was stunned.

"That... sounds like my sister all right," Sam responded after a moment's hesitation.

I immediately began regretting what I had said. The regret grew even more, as something suddenly snapped inside Cream. She broke free of me, pushing me back with a force I didn't know she had.

"How can you say such a thing about your mother?!" she exclaimed with a fury I have never seen in her, nor do I hope to see in her again. "Your mother loves you very much, and she was looking for you so she could say goodbye! You should be lucky to even _have_ a mother on the same planet as you, and... and... I can't even see my own mother!" At the prospect of being separated from her mother by a whole dimension, Cream burst into tears. She ran out the living room door, Cheese following.

The room was stunned into silence. No one knew whether to act surprised that Cream could speak or angry at me for dissing my mom. After Cream snapped, my guilt piled up higher. I didn't even _think_ about _her_ mother. But why did I even snap like that if I claimed I got used to her sudden change of plans? That was really uncalled for.

Ella finally found her voice. "Chris, that was a very uncomely thing to say about your mother."

Before anyone could say anything else, Tails and Amy ran through the room. They almost backtracked, as if knowing they shouldn't be out in the open like this, but reconsidered and proceeded to the other side anyway. They too ran out the side door. Right behind them was Grandpa. He tried to follow them, but was stopped by Ella. Now the family saying is: If the maid ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

"Hold it, Mr. Thorndyke," she said, cutting in front of Grandpa. "You owe me an explanation for all this."

"Well, I... I guess the jig is up," Grandpa admitted.

"What jig?" Ella demanded. "What are you hiding from me?"

Grandpa began to get flustered. "I-I can explain. Just give me a little time."

Mr. Stewart rose from his seat and put his phone anyway. "Well, this got awkward fast," he commented as he started to leave the room. "I guess I saw all I needed to see here."

"A-Aren't you going to stay for the party?" Grandpa asked, still somewhat flustered under Ella's relentless piercing stare.

"I can't," he replied. "I kinda wanted to come so I could see Lindsey. Besides, I've got homework to grade and my curriculum to review. Just give me a call next time she's over." With that, he left the room. A moment later, we heard the front door open and close. Sam stretched.

"Y'know, I should probably be going too," he said. "I come quickly, but I also leave quickly. It's in my nature."

"Don't you want to say hello to Matt?" Ella invited.

Sam was surprised. "Oh, he's here already?"

"Yes," answered Ella. "He came just as Mrs. Thorndyke was leaving."

"Oh, okay," Uncle Sam nodded. "So that's why there's another car in the driveway. Makes sense. But how did he not hear everything that just happened?"

We heard footsteps on the stairs in the distance, and a moment later Matt reentered the room. He was still dressed in the same clothes as before. He must have immediately sensed the awkward silence in the room, for he was frowning.

"...Did I miss something...?" he asked after a moment.

Grandpa headed toward the doorway before turning back to us. "I'll be right back; I just need to take of something. Give us five minutes. Chris, could you come with me?"

As Matt and Sam reunited and began talking about one of their Need for Speed games, I followed Grandpa out of the room and into the foyer, glad to finally be relieved of the tension. Just then the door opened and Tanaka entered. I later learned that he had been dropping Mom off at the airport.

"Just in time, Tanaka," Grandpa said. "Do you know about the others?"

Tanaka nodded. "Indeed. I have known of them for the past week."

"Then let's step outside for a bit," invited Grandpa. "This concerns them."

Tanaka nodded, and the three of us stepped out onto the porch. The sun was setting outside, casting an orange glow onto the fountain that made the water look like orange juice.

"Chris," Grandpa began, "I think it's time. It's time to reveal the others to Ella, Matt, and Sam."

"There cannot be a better time than now," Tanaka added.

I was still undecided. I really didn't want any unnecessary drama. Still, everyone had seen too much at this point.

"It's going to be easier on everyone in the long run," pressed Grandpa. "Besides, Ella has already seen Cream, Amy, and Tails today. There's no reason we should hide them from her any more."

I thought for a moment. No one had called the cops yet. That was a good sign. Perhaps since Ella, Matt, and Sam were all family, they could promise to keep it a secret. Maybe it _was_ better off if we introduced my Mobian friends to them. Besides, a friend of a friend is a friend, right?

"You're right," I decided. "It's time."

"All right, then that's settled," Grandpa said. "Tanaka and I will round them up. Why don't you head back inside."

"Okay," I nodded before stepping back inside, shutting the doors behind me. I returned to the living room, where I saw that Matt's confusion had only increased in my absence.

"Could someone please tell me what's going on?" Matt asked, starting to get a little impatient.

"All's going to be revealed soon," I reassured my cousin.

Ella was seated on the couch. "Perhaps I've been working too hard lately. Yet these animals can't be illusions," she sighed.

"Say what you want, but I'm still firm on seeing that alien in the window," Sam countered.

"Alien?" Matt repeated. "I _might_ have heard about it. Tell me more."

"Blue, hedgehog-like, wears shoes and gloves? You've seen it too?"

Matt shook his head. "Not in person, no, but I saw it on national news a few days ago. I think they're calling it Sonic the Hedgehog, if I'm right."

Five minutes later, Grandpa and Tanaka appeared in the doorway. The former stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"First off," he began, "we owe you an explanation and an apology. If we've been acting strangely over the past two weeks, then it's because we've had some unexpected visitors staying here. We've been harboring them here for the past two weeks, and we thought that it was best to keep them hidden from you, especially you, Ella. It's because we didn't want to deal with the consequences of exposing them to other people, if you will."

Ella nodded.

"Again, thank you for putting up with us," Grandpa continued. "We've tried hard to hide them from you, but now it's finally time for us to introduce you to them. Have any of you heard of Sonic the Hedgehog?"

The question was obviously not addressed to me. Matt and Sam nodded.

"Yes, I saw his name in a few news reports," Ella answered.

"Okay. He and his friends are the ones who are visiting us. I'll go get them for you." With that, Grandpa and Tanaka stepped out of the room.

"So they _were_ staying here?" Matt whispered.

"How did they keep them secret from us for two weeks?" Ella wondered.

I could hear Grandpa say "Okay, you can come out now" to my friends. The next moment, Sonic, Tails, Amy, Cream, and Cheese entered the room together, with Grandpa and Tanaka right behind them. Upon seeing Cream, I felt another wave of guilt wash over me. How could I have said a bad thing about my mother in front of her? They had recovered somewhat, to the point where I couldn't tell that they were crying. But that didn't matter. I was a monster, and I had to make things right.

"My name's Miles Prower, but everyone calls me Tails," the fox introduced himself.

"I'm Amy Rose, Sonic's girlfriend. Pleased to meet you all!" Sonic just rolled his eyes.

"My name is Cream, and this is my Chao friend Cheese." They gave an adorable wave.

"And I'm Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog. Also known as the Fastest Thing Alive, if you fancy nicknames, Highway Star."

"I'm the Noble of Sonic Speed tonight," Sam playfully scowled. "Get with the times, man! But hey, if you're feeling formal, just call me Sam Speed."

"Sure thing, Sam," Sonic replied as he shook my uncle's hand. "I gotta admit, you were way past cool during that chase when I first got here."

"Yeah," Sam laughed. "That was one of my best nights ever. But please don't make a sonic boom in front of me again; I had to replace my windshield after that."

"Sorry about that," Sonic shrugged. "I've got a thing about being held prisoner by people I don't know. But you were just doing your job, so... yeah, I'll let it slide."

As they were speaking, Cream approached Ella, who smiled upon seeing her. The maid carefully scooped her up and sat her on her lap.

"I'm sorry for spilling the flour in the kitchen earlier," Cream apologized. "It was an accident... Um, what's your name?"

"Ella," she answered, gently stroking Cream. "And it's okay, dear. Accidents happen."

Meanwhile, Uncle Sam was glancing at Tails, marveled at the fact that...

"...You have two tails..." Sam whispered in awe. Tails shrugged, rubbing behind his head nervously. "Does this mean you're a-"

"Save it," warned Sonic. "He doesn't need that now."

Sam looked confused, bug shrugged and nodded. This actually made me wonder if Tails was ever called a freak or a mutant in his past.

"I have a question," Ella spoke. "That sudden loud motor last week when I was cleaning your lab, Mr. Thorndyke. Was one of your inventions backfiring? Because I've heard it a couple times before." Grandpa turned to Tails for the answer. The fox was trying to hide his mirth.

"It's nothing like that, Ella," Tails answered. "That was just my plane, the Tornado."

"Wait, that's _your_ plane?" Matt asked. "When I saw it across the yard, I thought it was one of Grandpa's latest toys!"

"Nope, that's all me," Tails replied. looking flattered. "Speaking of, I think Chuck's the best person I've ever had the privilege to work with!" Grandpa beamed at the compliment.

"Thank you, Tails; I'm flattered," he responded. "Also, the Tornado is one of the main reasons I didn't want Ella or Tanaka going in the garage. That's why I came up with the 'secret project' ruse."

"Very clever," Tanaka commented.

I had never thought of the noise the Tornado would make when taking off; surely it would have aroused the suspicions of Ella and Tanaka. But it looked like all was well, so there was nothing to dread.

"Oh, you should have told me sooner," Ella responded. "That way, you wouldn't have had me worrying about the house being haunted." Tails chuckled at this.

Amy turned to Matt. "I don't think you ever told us your name," she pointed out.

"Oh, right," the young adult realized. "I'm Matt, Chris' cousin."

"So you're Matt," Tails said. "Chris had told us about you."

Matt nodded. "I guess good news travels fast," he quipped. They seemed to notice a twinge of sadness in his eyes, but before anyone could comment about it, Ella spoke up.

"Okay, could you please tell us how you got here? I've been wanting to know."

"It's quite the story," Sonic responded, "but since we've got a party tonight, and long stories aren't my forte, I'll just cut to the chase. Basically, we're from another planet called Mobius. Dr. Eggman- you've heard of him, right?"

Ella, Sam, and Matt nodded.

"Okay. So Eggman had accidentally sent us all and himself here, and we're trying to gather seven powerful gemstones called the Chaos Emeralds so we can get back home."

"So far, we have one," Tails added. "It's not going to be easy to find the other six."

"And of course, Eggman is after them too," Amy said.

"I know you guys can do it," Matt said with confidence. "If you could defeat Eggman the way you said you did before, I believe you can get all the Chaos Emeralds in no time."

"You should see me when I'm powered with all seven of them!" Sonic responded with a wink. "I'm pretty much unstoppable in that state, and I'm like, gold and flying through stuff like Eggman's mega weapons. It's way past cool."

Sam, however, looked skeptical. "I kinda want to believe you, but these 'Chaos Emeralds' sound too good to be true. I mean, don't get me wrong, I saw the news report on the gemstone last Monday, but... is it really that powerful?"

"You bet," Sonic answered. "But lately it's been causing a bit more... _chaos_... than it should. Here, I'll get it for ya!" With that, Sonic ran off toward the garage.

Ella carefully lifted Cream and Cheese off her lap and stood up. "It's time to finish getting ready for the party," she announced. "Good thing I made a lot of food."

As she headed toward the kitchen to finish preparing for the feast, I knew that it was a good thing that she was unknowingly prepared for five extra mouths to feed.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

The party was only minutes away. Cream and Cheese were in the kitchen, helping their new friend Ella with the finish touches of the food. Right now, they were helping to decorate the cake.

"I'm so glad you don't have to hide from me any more," Ella spoke with joy. "I hope you are able to return home as soon as possible."

"I know we will," Cream responded. "My friends are very good at finding the Chaos Emeralds."

"Chao!" Cheese agreed after decorating his side of the cake.

"After hearing what you said earlier, I know your mother must miss you terribly," Ella sympathized.

"Don't worry, Miss Ella," Cream comforted. "I'll be okay because I have many wonderful friends who are there for me." She smiled sweetly at Ella. "Thank you for taking us in."

Needless to say, Cream and Cheese had taken an immediate liking to Ella. She was a very motherly figure who made them feel right at home.

After another minute, Ella fetched several plates from the cabinet and handed them to Cream. "Here, these go in the dining room." She also gave some smaller bread plates to Cheese, and they took the plates to the dining room, where Amy and Tanaka were setting the table.

"Ella is right," Amy commented. "I'm glad we don't have to hide either."

Cream smiled as she and Cheese placed the plates on the table. "Miss Ella is really nice," she complimented.

"I know," Amy responded as she poured the water. "Sam and Matt are pretty cool too. I hope we get to know them better before they go."

"We will now that we are free to be in the house," Cream responded.

Meanwhile, Chuck, Tails, and Matt were sitting in the living room, chatting about Matt's college, as well as Tails' skills in mechanics.

"So you really built that plane from scratch," Matt said, beyond amazed at what he had heard.

"That's right," Tails answered. "And that's not all. I have a few other planes back home. Believe it or not, I even built a spaceship for use during the Phantom War."

"The Phantom War?" Matt queried.

"It's a long story, but it involved a powerful ally of Eggman creating fake versions of our enemies."

"Is he still a threat?" Matt asked.

"We haven't seen him since the war ended, and as far as we know, he's not here on Earth."

"I meant to ask this earlier, Matt," Chuck spoke, "but how long do you plan to stay here before you have to return to Minneapolis?"

"At least through Sunday night," he answered. "I plan to see my mom tomorrow. It'll be the first time in four years."

Again Tails noticed the sadness in Matt's eyes, but couldn't question it, as Matt changed the subject.

"I think it's strange that no one's broken in here just to see you guys," he commented.

"Yeah, why is that?" Tails seconded.

"I've been thinking the same thing," Chuck responded. "Does the government know something? Whatever the case, we have an excellent security system, so I can guarantee you no one's going to break in to see you any time soon."

"That's comforting," Tails said as he leaned back in his seat on the couch.

Elsewhere, Sonic was telling Sam about the Chaos Emeralds. Sam was rotating the green Chaos Emerald in his hands.

"So basically, when you get all seven, you can go all Goku on your enemies?"

Sonic scratched his head. "Who's Goku?"

Sam smiled. "Oh, you don't know what you're missing. He's the main hero of the Dragon Ball series. You're gonna love it."

"Maybe," Sonic replied. "I may need to check it out. Also, the Chaos Emeralds can be used for good or evil. The side of good use positive emotions like love, joy, kindness, and the like, while the side of evil usually rely on anger, hate, and sadness."

"Yikes," Sam commented. "Did I hear they can also be used to power machines?"

"Under the right circumstances, you got it."

Before Sonic could begin mentioning Chaos Control, he noticed the absence of a certain someone.

"Wait here a moment," Sonic instructed before sprinting up the stairs at a speed that forced Sam to hug a wall to avoid being blown over.

"Showoff..." muttered Sam.

Sonic paused in front of a door that was ajar. He figured that this was Chris' room from memory of being sneaked through the house, and knocked gently.

"Can I come in?" he whispered.

"Yes," came Chris' voice from within.

Sonic slowly pushed the door open and crept into the room. Chris was sitting on his bed, fiddling with one of his LEGO models.

"What'cha doing away from all the action, buddy?" Sonic softly asked.

Chris didn't look up. "I hurt Cream's feelings..." he moaned.

"Oh?"

"I complained in front of her about my mom suddenly leaving, when I had forgotten just how much she misses her own mother... I didn't mean it, but... I'm worried that I ruined our friendship..."

Sonic smiled, a small act that eased my mind somewhat "How could Cream ever stay mad at you?" he spoke. "Especially when you've been nothing but good to her. Besides, she's quick to forgive people. You'll see."

A moment later, Cream bounded through the doorway into the room, with Cheese right behind her. Fortunately, it looked like she had completely gotten over Chris' complaint earlier, but Chris still felt that he needed to make things right.

"Cream..." he started. "I'm really sorry for-"

"It's okay, Mr. Chris," Cream responded. Before he knew it, she and Cheese had laid a beautiful crown of flowers upon his head.

"What is this?" Chris asked with intrigue.

"A flower crown," Cream responded, a broad smile on her face. "It's a symbol of our friendship."

"Chao chao!" Cheese echoed.

Chris was awed. All was forgiven, and there was even a token for it!

"Where did you get the flowers?" Chris asked. "I don't remember this kind growing in our garden."

"Mr. Sonic went out of his way to get some from a beautiful valley." To Sonic, she said, "Thank you, Mr. Sonic. Ella is also going to get a flower crown!"

With that, she skipped out of the room, Cheese following. Sonic sat down next to Chris and placed his arm around Chris' shoulder, a smile on his face as well."

"Way to go, Chris!" he congratulated softly. "Y'know, Cream only gives flower crowns to people she considers her true friends, like him."

Chris beamed. "Does this mean you also got a flower crown some time ago?"

"Yep," Sonic responded. "So did Tails, Amy, and even Knuckles. She is so pure."

Sonic got up off the bed and stopped at the door. "Wanna head down to the party with me?"

Chris nodded and followed Sonic to the door.

"Hey, kudos for keeping us under wraps for a whole two weeks," he congratulated.

As they left the room, Chris felt a huge burden lift off of his shoulders. Not only was his friendship with Cream untarnished, but Chris' Mobian friends were revealed to the rest of his family in the best way possible.

The secret was out.

* * *

 **A/N:** And that concludes the seventh chapter! This was a fast and fun one to write. even though I kinda like controlling Eggman.

Differences with the original episode:

 _-Party with purpose!  
-Matt!  
-No more random panic buttons!  
-Mr. Stewart knows about Lindsey in advance.  
-Tanaka drives Lindsey to the airport, since she came in a helicopter last episode.  
-Extended introduction scene.  
-Extended conclusion scene.  
-Mr. Stewart is no longer morbidly engrossed in abstract art.  
-Sam stays for the party after all._

I am now betareading two stories, one of which is written by one of my newer followers: D. J. Scales. I have one more slot open for betareading if you would like to enlist my services. In return, I'm looking for someone to betaread this story as well, so it can be even better - preferably someone who is good with detailed scenes.

I tried my hardest to make sure Matt doesn't become a Mary Sue. He will not appear frequently at first, and he may not seem like much, but he will get his chance to show his true colors. Sometimes he feels like a self-insert, but he's different from me in a couple ways. In fact, I originally created him as a self-insert for another purpose, but it's way too early in the story to discuss that.

Please let me know if anyone is OOC or if there are plot points that need discussing; every little bit helps. And keep the reviews coming, even though I'm not really the guy who treats reviews like food!

Next up is Satellite Swindle, which had quite a fun plot to write. There will be a greatly extended scene which wasn't present in the original. Buckle your seat belts.

Until next time, everybody, sub to PewDiePie, enjoy Team Sonic Racing, get Charmx to a million subscribers, enjoy your Memorial Day weekend, and do the Mario regardless of this story's designation as a Sonic story rather than a Mario story!

EDIT _(5/28/19)_ : There were a couple glaring errors, including a Mary Sue moment from Matt, as well as Chuck dominating the conversation. Thank you, The Green Seer and Animation Adventures, for pointing these out. I also changed and extended the conversation between Sonic and Sam at the end. Also, some typos were corrected.


	8. Dead Air

********Note (2/15/20): In a few months, this chapter will be updated to reflect my current writing style, as well as fix some errors.********

 **A/N:** Hey guys, sorry if this chapter's a little late; I've felt way past lazy during June, and found myself browsing Pinterest and DeviantArt's Sonic fanart. My favorites include Kitsuoi, AlcyoneAX, rontufox, and Ingolme, just to name a few. That, and the fact that this thing is a _monster_. Nearly 25,000 words. Are there any other stories that consistently reach at least 15,000 words per chapter, or even have chapters as big as 25,000 words?

Also, I want to thank all of you for giving this story 7,000 views! It has the second most views of any story I've had, only behind Super Mario Bros: The Novelized Comic, which the time of writing has 9,262 views. Perhaps together, with the power of teamwork, we can outperform Sophia X!

I hear that the Sonic movie trailer has been delayed so Jeff Fowler can fix Sonic. Good move on his part. I also hear that Sonic is going to be 70% more like himself. I actually would have watched the movie even without the changes, but I can't wait to see what the new Sonic will look like. Looking forward to Valentine's Day 2020!

Also, happy summer, and a happy 28th anniversary to the Fastest Thing Alive! I hear that 2021 is going to a big year for Sonic... Think we might get a new Sonic anime to go with the new game?

On to the chapter. Thank you, **TheGreenSeer** and **Animation Adventures** , for your feedback on Matt. I too agreed that that was a Mary Sue moment for him, so I went back and fixed it, along with the introduction scene. I also added some dialogue between Sonic and Sam around that point as well. If you haven't seen these changes, by all means, go back and check them out!

Speaking of changes, I went back to make edits to chapters 1 and 4 as well.

In chapter 1, I replaced the entire "Sam Speed's POV" scene with a third-person POV documenting the same events. Now the only edits left for that chapter is to edit the other Sam Speed POV scene, and fix the bold radio chatter by splitting it into two or three scenes, or just making it a third-person POV. Also, I realized I had named Helen's father Todd when his real name in the anime is Doug, so I fixed that.

Also, in chapter 4, I changed the President's age from 62 to 68, since it seems to make more sense, as well as removed the mention that Sonic was imprisoned for six months. It struck me that Sonic would probably not be that open to share what he went through with Eggman during the war. Chris will learn about this later, though.

 **Backlog update:** Now working on the plot for "Unfair Ball" and the synopsis for "Beating Eggman, Part 1". Additionally, I'm almost done the plot for "Heads Up, Tails!" I can't wait to show you what I have for the Chaos Saga. I think that I may end up scrapping "Revenge of the Robot", as it seems to be mostly filler. The canon events will be moved to both "Heads Up, Tails!" and "Flood Fight". Now you're wondering, how on Mobius am I going through with writing the Chaos Saga if it already happened in Sonic's timeline? Well... you'll find out.

Now on to the reviews and what matters most: the story!

* * *

 _ **TheGreenSeer**_

 _(too long to repost)_

 **Nine reviews on the last chapter... That's the most I've ever gotten from a chapter. This time I got eight, which is still a lot.**

 **I tend to lean toward logic than randomness. I don't think I would stand to have Chuck "dancing" with Ella in an effort to get her to forget hat she just saw Tails and Amy running through the room. And Ella never corrected Chris for slandering her mother. Not to mention Mr. Stewart was morbidly engrossed in a Piet Mondrian painting. (Did you know that if you rearrange the letters in his name, you can get "I paint modern"?) Instead, I just stuck with him using his cell phone, probably to record the events in the room. And yes, Cream is so pure! This makes her one of my favorite characters, up there with Sonic, Tails, Amy... & Knuckles. Yes, I had to do that for the meme fans ;)**

 **Also, thank you very much for telling me about Mat and his Mary Sue moment. Looking back upon it, it made me cringe, so I went back and fixed it. Now he no longer has a Mary Sue line, and now Sonic tells Sam about the Chaos Emeralds. If you haven't seen these changes yet, go ahead and check them out.**

 **Yes, Techno-Teacher did seem chaotic, but it was the only way I could think of to resolve Chris staying after school when it's been confirmed that Mr. Stewart's class comes before the cafeteria. I will warn you now, this will not be the only "weird" moment, which is why I now classify this story as AU. Hopefully it won't go too out of hand, but I will tell you that the Homebound Saga will be gutted and replaced, and yet the Metarex Saga will still happen. It's AU now, and I'm warning you in advance about this. But hopefully the ride will still be enjoyable for everyone. Don't expect the weirdness (but it's still "logical") to start until the Chaos Saga rolls around.**

 **Some of the best adventures take place at home sweet home, which makes Party Hardly one of my favorites. No Eggman, no problems... right?**

 _ **GuardianDragon98**_

 _You never fail to excite and impress me with every new chapter you post. The references to the events of Sonic Forces were really good. I'm excited for what you'll come up with for "Satellite Swindle."_

 **Then I have succeeded in my goal. The further we go along, the more Sonic Forces references will show up. If I ever do get around to making a Sonic Forces rewrite, I think I might want to form a team so that I don't have to do all the writing myself. It's just an idea, though.**

 **I think you'll like what I have for Satellite Swindle ;)**

 _ **Alexandria Prime**_

 _That was really sweet at the end. I'm glad that you actually introduced the Mobians to Ella, Tanaka, Matt, and Sam. That was really cool!_

 **Thank you! I've actually gone back to make that scene even better, so that they introduce themselves, instead of Chuck introducing everyone.**

 _ **Animation Adventures**_

 _(too long to repost)_

 **There are actually a couple reasons I chose to set this story after Forces, but it's too early to say why for now.**

 **It always boggled me how Sophoa X now has over 500 reviews for a story with a Mary Sue-ish character. I've always called Princess Sophia a "pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey" character because she never gets her own scenes; she's always pinned to Sonic's scenes. I looked through the reviews, and saw that it had 73 reviews after 7 chapters (avg. 10.43 per chapter), where as my story had 38 reviews after 7 chapters (avg. 5.43 per chapter), which is still a lot. In my opinion, stories such as My Arms Are Blue! and Sonic the Hedgehog: Heroes of Mobius are well-deserving of their may reviews. Maybe it's just the FFN algorithm.**

 **Yeah, I thought back on their reactions... I thought Chris was pretty excited at the end of the first chapter. But that still wasn't anything compared to Chuck. If I can think of any improvements to make on that front, I'll implement them.**

 **I too thought that Cream and Cheese were left out on several adventures. I can't guarantee that they can go on _every_ adventure, but if I can fit them in, I will.**

 **Like I said earlier, I've heavily edited those scenes in which Matt was a Mary Sue, and I completely changed all the dialogue so that the Mobians introduced themselves. Also, I think that the reason I didn't use the term "the others" as much as I probably should is because it felt like they were being dismissive of Tails, Amy, and Cream. It would almost feel like Chris couldn't care less about them; all that matters is Sonic. This time around, I want Chris to have an equal friendship with all of them, but particularly Sonic.**

 **I've thought about leaving Chris out of the Metarex Saga because I didn't want him feeling useless or otherwise stealing scenes from Matt... more likely, it's the other way around. I know Chris aged six years and became a tech whiz and made fancy shoes for Sonic, but here's the thing: I don't want to age Chris in this rewrite. Besides, Chris seemed to me like he was smarter than Tails, especially at the beginning of "H2 Whoa". I'll handle it differently, and, after more reconsideration, I think I may want to incorporate Chris (the 12-year-old Chris, not the 18-year-old in his younger body) into the Metarex Saga, and if I do, he won't appear at first. Perhaps he can be a stowaway on the Chaotix' ship in "Galactic Gumshoes". So yeah, I think I may have _both_ Chris _and_ Matt together. They can be there for each other, and this will be the part of the Sonic X rewrite in which I will really get to work on Matt's personality.**

 **Also, since the Metarex Saga seems like a spinoff in some way, it is going to get its own fanfiction. It originally had a working title of "Matt and the Metarex", but I've decided to call it "Tranquility and Order: A Sonic X Rewrite". I'll make a poster for it with Paint 3D, just like I did for this story and my new profile pic.**

 **As for season two, you'll get to see what I'm made of. I can't wait to show you my new-and-improved Chaos Saga! (You'll see how I handle this; don't worry ;) ) Though, I will need help with rewriting the Shadow Saga, which seems to be everyone's favorite saga, up there with the Metarex Saga. But I can't ask for help without spoilers... I've got a lot of time before I get there; I'll figure something out by then.**

 _ **Guest**_

Any references to the Sonic parodies from Dorkly in later chapters? Maybe have Sonic say "Huh, neat."

 **I may try to fit in a reference or two if I can. I haven't seen much Dorkly. I'm more of a LevelUP and Sonic Paradox fan.**

 _ **jr121531**_

 _Even though i have nothing more to say,i love every chapter you've post so far it's made my day_  
 _and night._  
 _and i'm happy to know you don't think i'm weird and i will hopefully keep posting review's each chapter now._

 _P.S you don't have to read them if you don't want to i'm not that type of person._  
 _From Juliana R.E_

 **It's great to hear that I have another devoted fan! I love reading every single review I receive; all of them make my day!**

 _ **SharpDragonKlaw**_

 _Well we didn't get to see much of Matt this chapter but I hope we get to know him a bit more next time. I think it was cool you expanded a bit more on Chris' view of his mother leaving and how he felt about Cream's situation of not seeing her mother in so long._

 **Yes, you will definitely get to see more of Matt. He will get a small scene this chapter; then he won't appear again for a while. I love adding new stunning sides and awesome angles to situations you don't normally see in the anime.**

 _ **Kurama The Platinum Zoroark**_

Okay, first off, best rewrite ever. Second I'm doing the math and the answers are 20 and 8 not 2 and 8, but I 'm pretty sure that it's just a typo. 3rd, I'd like to see if you knew about the sonic x abridged by sonic paradox on YouTube called sonic f as well as the sonic shorts and other stuff they make. That's pretty much it either way have a good night and a fave and follow.

 **Thank you very much! I just went back and corrected my mistake. Thanks for pointing it out.**

 **And no, I haven't heard of Sonic F. I have, however, seen Sonic Seconds and Sonic Shorts, and I've also recently started watching Dragon Ball Z Abridged. So it looks like I'm in for a treat.**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: No satellites were harmed in the making of this chapter. E-90 Super Sweeper is a trademark of the Eggman Empire and Eggman Industries, and must not be sabotaged or damaged in any way, shape, or form._

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Doctor Eggman was sitting up in his command center early that Saturday morning, fiddling with a pen. He had not made a move in nine days.

Usually he always had a plan for world domination ready to execute at any moment. But being stranded on an unfamiliar world left him with few choices. While he did formulate several plans revolving around some of his E-Series robots and the occasional Super Badnik, he couldn't decide on which on to use, if he wanted to execute those particular plans at all.

Eggman had finally established a connection with this world's Internet during this time. Once he had his modem and router installed (it didn't take him very long to acquire them), he immediately looked up the Thorndykes. Eggman quickly learned that they are among the richest families in the world. This meant that Christopher, whom he had made one of his enemies, was among the richest children in the world. To Eggman, it seemed coincidental that Sonic would live with Earth's richest family of all people. Where they lived seemed irrelevant to him, though, as he respected their privacy.

Back in the present, Eggman knew he need to eventually make up his mind. He was determined to bring the world to its knees somehow, but the question was: How would he go about it? That's when he figured he could let his roulette decide his attack plan for him. He had plenty of powerful robots who could do his bidding in their own various ways.

He slipped his pen back into his coat pocket and stood up. Turning toward the drawer he kept his deck of robot cards in, he opened it and pulled said deck out. He flipped through the cards, seeing if there were any robots he did or didn't want to use, but after a moment, he figured he would just leave everything up to luck.

Eggman inserted the entire deck into the slot in his console, closed the hatch, and pulled the lever to spin the slots. His choice would be entirely random. It didn't matter what robot he chose. All of them were deadly. He could easily advance the Eggman Empire with any one of them.

Eggman watched the slots intently as they slowed down. A few seconds later, all three slots landed on E-90 Super Sweeper. He grinned. One of his best plots he had recently formulated involved this robot. He decided he would keep it a secret, at least for now. The world wound find out for themselves in due time.

E-90 was one of Eggman's largest E-Series robots. It was so large, in fact, that it had to be stored in the underground factory in separate pieces. They would assemble themselves once they reached a certain altitude.

The doctor pressed the Confirm button and sat back down in his chair. This was one of those plans that didn't require his presence. Which was a good thing, because he didn't feel like doing much anyway. Ever since he installed the Internet in his headquarters, his productivity had dropped. He would play online games and no one would know that they were actually playing against the evil genius Doctor Ivo Robotnik. However, he was still determined to conquer the world.

Within minutes, Eggman watched on the screen as compartment after compartment was launched out of the hangar bay and up the secret runway. He oversaw all thirty-six sections as they emerged into the air above his fortress and carefully connected to each other.

Two minutes later, the four hundred foot long robot was complete. It was indeed his largest robot. Eggman sat back and watched as the Super Sweeper turned skyward and blasted toward the final frontier.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Area 99's military surveillance division made up the majority of the secret military base. In the primary surveillance room, dozens of officers were sitting in front of computers, monitoring any form of espionage, such as missile activity or cyberhacking. They were similar to NORAD, but with greater technological capabilities.

One officer was carefully listening to an incoming report.

"Sir, we just got a broadcast from the GUN reconnaissance team on Santa Rosa Island," he officer reported once he had finished.

Area 99's military surveillance overseer Ernest Reinhardt nodded. "Put it on," he instructed.

A few clicks later, the room's big screen projected an image from the island that Doctor Robotnik's base was located at. Every now and then they could hear the wind in the microphone. A contrail could be seen extending way into the sky.

"If you are receiving this, Dr. Robotnik has launched a shuttle of some sort about five minutes ago," the GUN soldier reported. "It appeared to have emerged from the doctor's base in several dozen parts that merged together. Its current trajectory is unknown, but we have observed it travelling straight up. It is now out of our radar range. We will inform you if and when there are new developments."

As the video ended, Reinhardt turned to the rest of his staff. "I want you to keep tabs on that shuttle via radar. I advise that no action be taken, as we do not know what Robotnik's objective is."

A chorus of "yes, sirs" echoed across the room as they brought up various radars to track Robotnik's shuttle with. Even GUN didn't have as advanced technology as Area 99, which is why the staff of the secret military base needed to track the shuttle instead.

"Sir, we have a situation," came the call of one of the officers.

"Yes, what is it?" Reinhardt asked.

"The shuttle appears to be approaching one of our radar satellites."

Reinhardt nodded. "I think I know what Robotnik's game is."

Over the next minute, the blip on the radar where the radar satellite had been vanished. Suddenly the entire radar system went offline, resulting in an error message that appeared on the big screen and a few of the smaller screens. This was the first sign something was wrong.

"What just happened?" one officer asked.

"We just lost radar," another responded.

"Any known cause?" Reinhardt asked, concern etching into his voice.

"Cause is unknown at the moment," came the response, "but Robotnik's shuttle may be responsible. I mean, we _did_ see it approach our radar satellite."

"Just relayed a message to NASA," another officer reported. "They say they're going to contact the International Space Station to see if they can find a cause. Maybe they saw something none of us have."

It took fifteen minutes for NASA to report back to Area 99. One of the officers promptly listened to it.

"Okay, we got a message back from NASA," he reported. "The ISS crew reportedly witnessed the shuttle extending what appears to be a vacuum tube toward the satellite."

"A what?" Reinhardt questioned in disbelief.

"Yes, you heard me right. It's a vacuum tube. It literally vacuumed up the satellite."

Reinhardt still couldn't believe what had happened. "But how? There's no air in space."

"Maybe a tractor beam?" the officer guessed before his focus returned to something that appeared on the screen. "There's a follow-up report."

"What does it say?" asked Reinhardt.

"The ISS claim that a second satellite has been ingested by the shuttle."

The surveillance overseer gritted his teeth. "This is looking more and more like Robotnik's doing," he said. "Something needs to be done about this."

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

Eight days had passed since my friends were introduced to Ella, Matt, and Uncle Sam. (Wow, time flies quickly, even for my age.) I had already gotten used to having them live in the house. I was so glad they no longer needed to hide. It was a sense of _freedom_ , the one thing they stood for the most.

Almost as soon as the party ended, Uncle Sam had left for the night, and Ella showed my friends around the house. While she was showing them where the bathrooms were, I actually learned an interesting fact about Mobians. Apparently they don't need to do their business in the bathrooms; instead, their bodies dissolve waste products from within. (I totally didn't need to share that.) I learned that they still have toilets in the Mobian parts of Mobius in case humans visit - or if they need to throw up. Which doesn't happen as often as it does with humans because Mobians have much stronger immune systems than humans. Now I envy them!

It was a good thing Ella had four guest bedrooms upstairs. She had prepared one of them for Sonic and Tails. While Tails always slept in there, Sonic usually opted for the roof, but he slept in the bedroom on rainy nights. They slept in separate beds. Last I went in there, I had seen the dresser and folding table covered in several drafts for projects Tails was planning to work on.

A second bedroom was given to Amy, Cream, and Cheese. Good thing there was already a bunk bed in there. Cream chose the top bunk, while Amy picked the bottom one. Ella had been nervous that the ceiling of the bottom bunk was too low for Amy, but she said it was fine, given their height. The thirteen-foot ceilings meant that Cream didn't have to worry about her head being near the ceiling, and she could easily fly to and from her bed.

Ella had gone shopping the next day to get my friends some supplies, which included toothbrushes and cushioning for when they sat at the table. The day of the feast, she had to get some large books for them to sit on to atone for their height. So Ella thought it was a good idea to get some cushions for them to sit on so they could be more comfortable.

Matt had left on Sunday night. But before he did, he seemed to open up a little concerning his life, something he doesn't usually do. It went something like this:

* * *

 **FLASHBACK - Sunday night**

We were gathering outside that crisp night around nine to say goodbye to Matt. He was going to take a red eye back to Minneapolis.

"Now you be careful out there, okay?" Grandpa said as Matt was walking toward his car.

"I will," Matt replied, though it sounded like he was sad to go. I would be too if I were him. He had only just met his new friends.

"Hey, have you ever thought about moving back to Station Square?" Tails asked.

Matt hesitated, debating whether he wanted to answer.

"I... don't really want to," he finally said. "I mean, yes, I visited my mom yesterday, but the place just gives me... memories."

"Memories?" inquired a curious Amy.

Matt began fidgeting, something he usually did when he was nervous. "Yeah, it's just... I guess I don't really want to talk about it."

Amy nodded in understanding. She had since told me she had known someone back on Mobius who was uncomfortable with sharing his painful memories as well.

"But maybe you could live here with us, Mr. Matt," Cream invited.

Matt smiled a little. "You're too kind, Cream," he said, which garnered a smile from the rabbit and Chao. "But taxes are murder here in California, not to mention I hate earthquakes with a passion. Besides, I think I might be narrowing down what job I want to get back in Minneapolis. But maybe, _maybe_ if I can't find anything in Minneapolis, then I might stay here at your place until I find something that tides me over."

 **END FLASHBACK**

* * *

Shortly afterward, Matt had left, soon to return to Minnesota. I remember Tails had asked Grandpa for confirmation that they get earthquakes. Grandpa said yes, but they're not generally severe... well, not as severe as earthquakes in Alaska. Almost coincidentally, we had an earthquake early in the afternoon two days ago. It was only a 4.3, but still, it prompted me to crawl under the table at school. While I'm not as paranoid as Matt, my Mobian friends handle them much better than I do.

So anyway, after Matt left, life returned to normal... well, a new sense of normal, really. I would never know the old normal again. I didn't _want_ to, either.

Now that my friends had the run of the place, I was getting to know them even better, and felt myself becoming more and more attached to them. We would hold conversations, and I was able to hear some of Sonic's adventures. Some of them included one about a "fake hedgehog" named Shadow, a time (two times) that Eggman unleashed a powerful deity , as well as tales from the Phantom War. That one seemed fresh to them, and I was wondering how they didn't have what is known as PTSD. There was even one that Sonic couldn't quite remember no matter how hard he tried. There seemed to be an adventure he had, but... he thought it had never happened.

Even though I had school during the week, I had shown my friends the LEGO stop-motion animations I made in my free time. In reality, most of the ones I showed them were Matt's, as he had been brickfilming, as it is called, for six years. I had been filming for one year, but Tails had pointed out that I really do take after Matt's style. Most of the brickfilms we made were comedy, though there was the occasional drama and sci-fi.

This isn't even saying that I showed them my apps on my phone. Of course, Tails was intrigued, and I quickly learned that Amy and Cream fell in love with Candy Crush. Amy asked if I could get them their own phones, but I had to politely decline for the time being because of their situation with... society. "We'll see," I promised them. Sonic, however, didn't seem to show that much interest, which made me wonder why.

During one of his daily runs, Sonic had told Knuckles about my... situation with Eggman. They agreed to spar against each other every now and then to hone their fighting skills. Sometimes Sonic won; sometimes Knuckles did. Apparently I needed all the protection I could get. I had only learned this by overhearing Sonic telling Tails, Amy, and Cream when they thought I wasn't around. I don't think Sonic knew I knew. But one thing remained clear. Sonic and his friends are not my bodyguards; they are my _friends_ , and my friends they will forever be.

Amy had fallen in love with the Food Channel, and had spent lots of time in the kitchen with Ella. The two would trade cooking tips all the time. In fact, there seemed to be few moments where she wasn't around the kitchen. Those moments seemed to be spent with either Sonic or Cream. Three nights ago, one of our courses was baked entirely by Amy. The cake-like muffins we had with supper that night were to die for.

As for the flower crown Cream gave me at the party, I kept it on my nightstand, so I could see it when I wake up each morning. No way was I going to get rid of it right away. Even though I knew the flowers wouldn't last forever, my friendship with Cream would be otherwise.

Fast forward eight days, and we have yet another average day in my new life. I'm never going back to my old one again.

So this Saturday morning, the day was in already in full swing. Cream and Cheese were watching a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse rerun. Well, reruns for me, but all new for them. A few days ago, Cream had asked if they have a TV show called The Next Show in this world. I didn't have a clue what she was talking about. Fortunately, Tails stepped in and told me it was a kid's show similar to Barney the Dinosaur. (He still doesn't get why that show has so many haters.)

Right now, Tails and I were sitting on the couch, chatting about Doctor Who. The day after the party, I had gotten the feeling Tails would like it, and so I turned it on to him with spectacular results. Now I can say he's a fellow Whovian. Already he had watched the entire first season of the reboot, which made me glad I had all the episodes on DVD. Some of his favorite parts involved Bad Wolf, as well as the the end of the world. (Oops, I think this is getting off topic. This is a Sonic fanfiction, not a Doctor Who one. And there's already way too much product placement as it is, so there's that. Excuse me for breaking the fourth wall...)

Just then we saw Ella and Amy entering the room from the kitchen. Each of them were bearing an apple pie.

By now Cream and Cheese saw and headed over to us. One of the slices was missing from one of the pies, and I knew it was sampled in the kitchen with mouth-watering results. Last night I had overheard Ella telling Amy that she would teach her how to make her famous apple pie.

"Now I know we don't normally have dessert in the morning," Ella told us as she and Amy set the pies down on the coffee table between us and the TV, "but I want you to see for yourself just how exquisite Amy's pies are."

"Aww, you know I couldn't have done it without your help," Amy replied.

"Thank you very much," I thanked as Ella walked off to get plates and silverware.

Amy winked at us. "No problem," she beamed before heading toward the side door. "Sonic won't want to miss out on this," she added before stepping outside.

Tails leaned forward in his seat. "I guess Amy and Ella are going to practically _live_ in the kitchen the way they're going, aren't they?" he joked.

I chuckled. "I guess so!"

Just then all the joking stopped in an instant. Suddenly the TV turned to static all on its own. No one was near it or the TV controller. Cream's attention had returned to the television shortly before it happened. We had did nothing, and yet the TV had turned to static.

Amy came back in through the door. "Okay, Sonic will be here in a min- What happened?" Her gaze was now fixated on the TV.

"I don't know," I answered. "It just... disconnected on its own."

"Is something wrong?" Ella asked as she reentered the room with several plates and silverware in her hands. "Oh, what happened to the TV?"

I picked up the TV controller. "I don't know," I repeated. I pressed the Back button and found that I could still return to the Roku menu like usual.

Cream looked very confused. "D-Did the TV die?" she asked with a twinge of sadness.

"I really hope not," Amy replied as she turned back to the TV.

"Well, the problem isn't with the TV itself," I concluded. "I can still go back to the Roku menu just fine."

"Hold on, let me check something," offered Tails as he slid off the couch and walked over to the TV. He began to probe around the wires behind it, carefully checking the connections. Perhaps there was a loose wire that suddenly gave way, resulting in us losing reception.

"See anything?"

Tails poked his head out from behind the TV. "The strange thing is, everything looks fine; the cords are connected the way they're supposed to be. I don't know what the problem could be."

Amy planted her hands on her hips. "Well, TVs don't just lose cable like that," she stated.

The first tears started to leak from the eyes of Cream and Cheese.

"Then... then that means... the TV really is dead!" she lamented. In an instant Amy was there to comfort them.

"Don't cry, you two," she spoke softly. "We're going to have the TV back up and running in no time." I was hoping the same thing. Amy's right; we can't just lose cable without a cause.

Just then Sonic ran in through the living room door. He was about to speak when he saw the commotion. Cream was crying. The TV was on the Roku menu, but the cable preview was displaying static.

"What happened?" he asked. I got up and walked over to him so I wouldn't have to speak over Cream's crying.

"The TV just lost cable, and we didn't touch anything," I summarized. I walked over and picked up the controller from the coffee table and went back into the cable selection. Now the static covered the screen once again. Sonic nodded.

"I don't need to know a lot about TV to know that this isn't normal," he said.

"Maybe we should put in a call to Comcast," I suggested to Ella.

"Good idea," she agreed as she started to leave the room. "Feel free to have some pie."

Once Ella was out of sight, Amy stood up. Cream and Cheese had calmed down considerably. I hit the Exit button to to return to the Roku menu.

"I can't believe it," Amy said, crossing her arms. Now I can't watch Rachael Ray, and Cream can't even watch her shows."

"There has to be a reasonable explanation behind this," Tails said. Amy nodded her agreement. I noted that Sonic seemed to be mostly silent during this ordeal, but he walked over to Cream, ready to be there for her in case she started crying again.

"Perhaps this is what's wrong?" Tails asked, pointing to a spot on the screen. Following his gaze, I saw that the Internet indicator read Not Connected.

"Oh no, did we lose Internet too?" I lamented. I picked up my phone from off the coffee table and swiped down on the screen to check my Internet connection. Zero bars. A bad sign.

After unlocking the phone, I took a look at all the other routers. None of them were listed like they usually were.

"Yup, we lost it," I reported. "And I don't see any other routers listed here either."

Just then Ella returned to the room. No one had made a move for the pie, since they all were focused on the situation at hand. But now Amy was cutting a slice for Cream and Cheese.

"We're not alone," Ella reported. "Comcast says that both cable and Internet are out for all of southern California."

Amy turned to Sonic. "Do you think Eggman might be involved in this, Sonic?" she asked.

"That was my first thought," Sonic replied. "I was just starting to rule it out until now. So yeah, chances are pretty good it's him."

It was strangely good to know it wasn't just us who lost cable. If it was, then Eggman must really have a grudge against us. Not that he doesn't already, though... I was still grateful we had phone service and electricity.

Just then Tails pointed to the window. "Bokkun's coming!" he reported. "Everyone hide!"

I was confused, but as everyone else but Sonic hid, I decided to just hide behind the couch with Tails. Ella, Amy, Cream, and Cheese were hiding behind another couch. Sonic stood there, awaiting Bokkun... whoever he was. I began wondering why the name sounded familiar.

"Why are we hiding?" I whispered to Tails.

"He's got exploding TVs," came the answer. _Now_ I remembered who Bokkun was. He was that annoying robot I saw at school last week, the one who told Eggman's Drill Sergeant to stay on track. If it was true that he had exploding TVs, I did _not_ want to be on the receiving end of one of those.

Sure enough, the small robot flew in through the open door. _Why didn't Sonic close it?_ I asked myself. He was wearing his satchel, just like the last time I met him. I knew what was inside.

"Why are you all hiding?!" he shouted in exasperation at the seemingly empty room. "I have a message directly from Dr. Eggman, so you all better listen up good, 'cause I'm not playing it twice!" He must have seen me just then, for he turned in my direction. "Especially you, Christopher! So come on out."

I hesitated. Was he calling me out of the crowd? And how did he know my name?

"Go ahead, I'll wait," Bokkun pressed.

Yup. He was singling me out. I started to panic. Why me? Why did Eggman's team specifically want me? Why?

"Better do as he says, Chris," Sonic told me.

"You should be fine. We'll stand by in case anything goes wrong," Tails reassured.

I sighed. Better to just do it than see Bokkun detonate the bomb early.

I stood up and took my place next to Sonic. "H-How did you know my name?" I asked.

"Oh, the doctor's been doing his research on you guys," he replied. "Apparently young Mr. Thorndyke's been a real _thorn_ in his side lately." He laughed at his own joke. I didn't really think it was funny.

"Just get on with it," urged Sonic.

I could see the others cautiously peek out of their hiding places. They seemed to be able to have a good view of the small screen Bokkun was holding.

Bokkun pressed the play button on the TV, and a live image of Eggman appeared. He remained silent, probably to build tension among us. It was definitely working. The room was deathly quiet, with the only sound being the quiet thrust of Bokkun's jetpack.

I started to feel nervous. Would Eggman call us out too? Why was I always being singled out? Why was Eggman taking pleasure in ruining our lives? I was so happy with Sonic, Tails, Amy, Cream, and Cheese living with me, and Eggman always had to exact his revenge on us. Now I, an innocent bystander, was caught up in their war.

I didn't deserve any of this.

"Are you scared yet?" Eggman finally spoke in a foreboding voice. Needless to say, I was. We all were.

"You have no idea what is going on up in the stratosphere," he continued. "Right now, one of my robots is up there, cleaning out all your pathetic space junk. I mean, seriously, why _do_ you humans have five thousand satellites up there? That's a waste of metal!"

I may have had a few brushes with the doctor before, but I didn't think he would stoop this low. He had so little shame about his actions that he even openly bragged of them. He seemed like some of the mad scientists I've seen on TV, but more... real and foreboding.

"I know that Tails has no aircraft capable of ascending to three hundred miles above the earth. What are you going to do now, Sonic?" he mocked.

As the doctor chuckled, Sonic smirked, knowing that Eggman seemed like child's play to him. "Oh, we'll think of something," he replied in his usual cocky tone.

Eggman raised a finger. "Ah, but not in time," he said. "Besides, by sanitizing your atmosphere, I'm benefiting humanity, as well as enforcing good habits. Too much TV and Internet is bad for you, _Christopher_." He emphasized my name with distaste. "Did Bokkun tell you that you're officially one of my top enemies yet?"

I gulped.

"I sure did, Doctor Eggman!" Bokkun beamed. "We're gonna have lots of fun including him in our evil plans!"

"Er, yes," Eggman replied. "We will. Be warned that I, Dr. Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik, will stop at nothing to establish the Eggman Empire in this world!" With that, he burst into a fit of maniacal laughter.

I must have been pale. Eggman officially hated me, and he made it known in front of my whole family, save for Mr. Tanaka and Grandpa. I was grateful Sonic had sworn to protect me at all costs.

Bokkun then turned expectantly toward Eggman on the screen. What were they thinking?

At last Eggman spoke. "This robot will automatically... Hmm... What should I have you do... Ah, I got it!... This robot will automatically help itself to a slice of your pie!"

"No!" Amy shouted as Ella helped her pull both pies behind the couch with them. Bokkun seemed not to care as he picked up the slice that would have been Cream's. Fortunately it had not been eaten yet.

As Bokkun took a huge bite out of the pie, he set the small yellow television down on the coffee table.

"Hey, since you guys don't have any cable, there's still something you _can_ watch! Enjoy alternative television!" he said around a mouthful of pie before turning around.

As he flew out, Sonic pulled me behind him so fast I nearly fell over. The moment he did, Bokkun's TV exploded. It sounded like a balloon popping as the TV burst, only louder.

Only then did I realize there was no shrapnel in that explosion. I wondered just how Bokkun could do it. Everything that explodes should have shrapnel, so why did this not seem logical?

As we heard Bokkun's laughing fade, I saw that the coffee table, floor, and couches all had ash spread across them. Sonic turned around, and I could see that he too had ash on his face and chest.

"Everyone okay?" Sonic asked the room as everyone else slowly crawled out from behind their hiding places.

"What _was_ that?" Ella asked as she stood up.

"That was Bokkun," Tails explained. "He's Eggman's primary courier robot. In my opinion, he has a questionable taste in practical jokes."

Cream looked down sadly at her now empty plate. "He took my pie..." she whimpered.

"It's okay, Cream. We'll cut you another slice," Amy comforted as she and Ella brought the pies into the dining room. Cream followed them, Cheese hovering not far behind. Miraculously, no ash landed in the pies.

That left just me, Sonic, and Tails in the living room. I was still shocked that Eggman had done what he did.

"Are you okay?" Sonic asked, looking me square in the eye.

"He made me one of his top enemies..." I said. "All I did was take the Chaos Emerald from him..."

"No other kid could have done it the way you did, Chris," Sonic responded with confidence. "You did what you had to do to keep the Emerald away from him."

"That's right," Tails nodded his agreement. "Eggman can do whatever he wants, but you know we're not going to give up on you."

I was just about to thank them when Grandpa burst through the side door. "What was that? Was that a gunshot?" he demanded urgently.

"No, nothing that bad," Sonic answered. "Just an exploding gag TV is all."

"Gag... TV?"

"It's just a prank one of Eggman's robots pulls on us when he delivers messages," Sonic explained while wiping away the worst of the ash from his fur. He would probably need a shower later.

"We're fine, Chuck," Tails seconded.

Grandpa, however, did not look as relieved. "If Robotnik's robots can get in the house that easily, then we'll need to really up our security and maybe keeps the doors and windows locked."

Ella reentered the room, with Amy, Cream, and Cheese not far behind.

"Maybe more than that, Mr. Thorndyke," Ella replied anxiously. "Dr. Eggman publicly told us that Chris is one of his top enemies!"

"I know," Grandpa replied solemnly. "Chris had managed to steal a Chaos Emerald from Eggman grasp a few days after he arrived. That's what set him off."

I hoped Ella wouldn't take this situation too far; for if she did, she might never let me go on adventures with Sonic.

"Well, what do we do?" Ella asked.

"We have Sonic and his friends to protect us," Grandpa reassured. "You don't need to worry about a thing."

He changed the subject. "Anyway, did anyone else lose Internet?"

"Yes, and cable," I answered. "Eggman is directly involved."

Grandpa slowly nodded. "Mm-hm. How so?"

"He sent a robot up into space to neutralize and capture satellites," Tails related, moving closer to Grandpa. "What for, I don't know yet."

"That _is_ something," Chuck commented. "Aren't satellites about three hundred miles up?"

"Yeah, they are," the fox said. "I've got a spacefaring craft back on Mobius, but here I only have the Tornado, which, of course, isn't made for space travel."

"Well, what if you tried using it to taunt the robot instead?" suggested Amy. "That way it's sure to exit the upper atmosphere and accept the challenge. What do you think?"

"You know, that's actually not a bad idea," Chuck commented as Tails considered this.

"It sounds risky," responded Tails, "but I think it might be worth a try."

"Everything settled?" Sonic asked as he started for the door. "Then I guess Tails and I will be off to stop Eggman once again."

Tails followed Sonic to the door, but I realized something and joined them.

"Wait!" I called. "You don't even know what the robot is like!"

Sonic turned around. "That's a risk we'll have to take. And believe me, I taken _many_ risks before."

Amy and Grandpa followed us outside as we proceeded toward the garage.

"All we know is that Eggman's robot is capable of swallowing satellites," Amy said. "That says a lot about its size."

"Then it must be one mondo big bot," replied Sonic as he ran on ahead toward the garage door. He opened the door, and a moment later, the big garage door started to open.

"I'll help with the rings!" Amy volunteered.

"Thanks, Amy!" thanked Tails as the two of them ran into the garage where the Tornado was parked.

Grandpa and I entered the garage a moment later. I wondered if there was a way I could help them.

"Remember, Sonic," Grandpa spoke, "this is for the fate of the infrastructure of southern California. Be careful up there."

"Never am," Sonic replied cockily. "But seriously, Eggman's robot isn't gonna be up there for long. It _would_ help if we knew what he wants the satellites for."

"I have a feeling we'll find out soon enough," Grandpa said.

Meanwhile, Amy was loading rings into a compartment in the Tornado, and Tails was checking over the plane to make sure it was in flying condition.

"Anything I can do to help?" I asked.

"No, we're good," Tails answered. "But thanks for asking."

Just then I spotted the Miles Electric on one of the shelves. "Would it help if you brought this with you?" I asked, holding it up.

Tails turned to me. "That's actually not a bad idea," he replied as he stood up. "Only thing is, I don't really have a hookup in the Tornado for it yet, as it's older than the Miles Electric." He took the device from me. "I've meaning to add one, though."

Tails spun his namesakes and lifted himself into the pilot's seat of the plane before buckling himself in.

"You're good to go!" Amy reported once she shut the ring hatch.

"Thanks for the help!" complimented Tails.

I glanced over the Tornado's exterior. "I don't see any damage from after what happened at Silver Valley. Did the Tornado not take any damage at all?"

"There was damage," Tails explained, "but not much to begin with. It was just chipped paint I could easily repair. Could you all stand back while we take off?"

"Yeah, let's move over to the side, everyone," Grandpa instructed as the rest of us left the garage. "Give them plenty of room."

As the Tornado's motor started, I recall that I had been startled at how loud it was. Then again, it didn't sound as loud as small planes of this world, so maybe it was the way they're built on Mobius? Anyway, I had gotten used to its motor, so I didn't have to cover my ears.

"We'll have Eggman beat before you can say 'TV dinner'!" Sonic reassured us with a thumbs-up from the passenger's seat.

"Good luck up there, guys!" Amy shouted as the plane picked up speed. The rest of us also waved and said goodbye as the Tornado lifted into the sky, bound for Eggman's robot, whatever it may be.

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

"I don't think we've gone this high up in the Tornado since our journey to the Land of Darkness," I remarked.

"Has it been that long already?" Tails remarked in surprise. "That was just after we met Amy."

It had been ten minutes since our takeoff, and we were still climbing high into the sky. Already my ears were popping at the rapid ascent. Tails had the Miles Electric open to radar mode next to him, as the Tornado didn't have a built-in radar. It was an older plane dating back to shortly before the whole Chaos thing, and Tails hadn't quite gotten around to installing one yet.

"See anything on the radar yet, Tails?" I asked. Tails glanced down at the Miles Electric, then shook his head.

"Net yet," he reported. "It could be a while. I mean, it could literally be anywhere in the sky."

By this point we were in the cloud layer, which meant that our flight path was partially obscured by the many clouds that were up here. I hoped that E-90 didn't reveal itself too suddenly to react.

"It's not really like Eggman to not reveal the full extent of his plan most of the time," I mused. "For instance, he never told us what he wants to use the satellites for, but I'm thinking robot parts."

Tails nodded. "I was thinking the same thing."

"To Eggman, the satellites are just a bunch of free metal floating around," I continued. "We can't let him have free range of the atmosphere again." The possibility of using the satellites' metal to build new robots was very real, or worse, he could be clearing room up here to build a new Death Egg. This world could not afford the amount of destruction the doctor was capable of.

Just then a beeping sound came from the Miles Electric. Tails looked at the radar to see a blip approaching us from behind. Throwing a glance over my left shoulder, I could see a huge robot descending out of the sky toward us. I mean, this thing was _huge_. I bet you could fit a whole football stadium in there, except last I checked, Eggman's not the football-playing type.

"Showtime," I announced.

E-90 Super Sweeper had to be a good four hundred feet long. It was a mondo ugly shade of deep green, and was bird-themed. Too bad this air space isn't just for the birds.

As soon as we were within range of it, several turrets atop the robot began to fire lasers at us. They all flew just wide of us. Eggman really needed to update his targeting computers.

"Can you get any closer, Tails?" I shouted over the wind that rushed in our faces.

"I'll try," Tails responded as I kept an eye on E-90. It started to pull up, right into our flight trajectory. Fortunately, Tails did the same just as the Super Sweeper's metallic mouth closed down right where we had just been. E-90 may be slow, but already it was proving to be a worthy adversary.

"Looks big enough to be part of the Egg Fleet," I commented. I considered leaping out of the Tornado and attacking the all-too-persistent turrets, but we were too far away to do that now.

"It doesn't look like it can turn that fast," noted Tails. "I'm going to see if I can attack it from behind."

"Good idea," I agreed as the Tornado descended, then banked left. Now we could see its undercarriage. Sure enough, E-90 was turning super slowly. It was pretty obvious it wasn't made to specifically take on smaller targets like us, which was lucky for us.

Since its undercarriage wasn't heavily armed, Tails had no trouble riddling its thick armor with lasers. But that's the problem: its armor is thick; thick enough to withstand our attacks. Hardly any damage was done to E-90. Time for a change of plans.

"You're right, Sonic," Tails said as he flew us under the Super Sweeper. "It may as well be part of the Egg Fleet. It's definitely got the armor."

Now it was E-90's turn to attack. It unleashed six bombs that jetted themselves toward us. These were different than missile in the respect that they were slower, but more maneuverable. They could propel themselves in any direction. This did not deter Tails, for he was able to easily avoid them. The bombs simultaneously burst a few seconds later, each one setting another off. I love a good fireworks show as much as the next guy, but when you're in a plane trying to fight a giant robot which is out for your Internet, priorities come first.

"It looks too small to be a battleship," I surmised. "From the looks of it, it's only slightly smaller than an Egg Fleet corvette."

Now we were on the right side of the Super Sweeper. As more lasers narrowly missed us, Tails banked left, preparing for another round of fire with the giant robot. I began wondering just how Eggman could fit that thing in his base. I knew the guy had an underground robot factory, but this thing is huge. It couldn't possibly fit down there... right?

Tails opened fire, and we watched in dismay as the lasers ricocheted off the durable armor, doing barely any damage. If we were to destroy this robot, it sure wouldn't be in a conventional matter.

Suddenly the Super Sweeper did something I least expected. As we continued approaching it, it launched a giant green jet-propelled bin at us. I assumed it was for garbage disposal judging by the recycling logo on it. It was flying squarely at the Tornado. I knew a spin dash against it wouldn't save Tails in time.

"Pull up!" I screamed.

Immediately my brother pulled the joystick back with all his might, and the plane finally began to climb. The bin missed us by only inches.

We almost didn't dodge that attack. It was either just me, or Eggman had been getting smarter when it came to air combat. The Tornado seemed to be too slow and weak against this adversary. But there was something amusing about that last attack, though.

"So Eggman decided to weaponize a flying dumpster against us?" I scoffed. "Man, he must be getting really desperate!"

"Don't get too cocky, Sonic," Tails warned as E-30 launched three missiles at us. "That thing nearly killed us just now."

"Relax; I'll be fine," I responded before leaping off of the plane's wing.

I flew through the air, aiming myself directly for the trio of missiles. After kicking one into another, I grabbed the third and hurled it like a dart at the Super Sweeper, doing light damage against its armor before landing expertly back onto the wing. Fortunately Tails builds his planes so they don't jostle too much when I land on the wings.

"See, what did I tell ya?" I quipped. "Perfectly fine."

I immediately ate those words as E-90 opened its mouth, revealing its namesake: a giant hose of some sort.

"Hold that thought..." I amended, feeling my pride crashing to earth.

The hose flexed back to aim itself at us. I had not seen this move before, but I knew deep down this hose was what deactivated and captured the satellites in space. And now it began to suck us in. The current was insanely strong and violent. In fact, I had to cling to the Tornado's wing to avoid being sucked in. Tails tried with all his might to break free, but he had no such luck. To make matters worse, E-90 was moving closer to us, which meant the intense suction got even worse. Before we knew it, we were flying out of control through the tube and into the belly of the Super Sweeper.

I'm not kidding when I say the suction was _loud_. Not only was it near deafening, but we were about as helpless as water going down the drain. Tails had no control of the Tornado whatsoever, even to the point where I noticed that the lights around the controls went out. The Tornado had lost all power. But that wasn't the worst part.

The worst part was when we crash landed inside the heart of E-90. I saw as many as half a dozen satellites already inside. There was nothing to indicate that they were functional. I didn't see one of them jutting out in our path, and my left arm slammed into it as we sped by. At least I wasn't knocked off balance. The plane finally slowed to a stop after skidding 180 degrees to the right.

Massaging my now-bruised arm, I leaped down from the Tornado's wing.

"I'm sorry, Sonic," apologized Tails. "I was too slow to escape its pull."

"Hey, don't sweat it, buddy," I responded. "You did all you could do to escape. Now we know for next time, yeah?"

Tails hopped out of the pilot's seat and, upon seeing me, concern etched onto his face.

"Are you okay, Sonic?" he asked. It seemed he didn't hear the impact over all the noise the Tornado was making when crashing in here.

"Yeah," I nodded. "But I'm definitely gonna feel it in the morning." I glanced at the Tornado. "More importantly, how's the Tornado looking?"

Tails began to carefully inspect the Tornado, starting with the left side. He glanced up and down, making sure not to miss a spot.

"It doesn't look like it took much damage at all," Tails reported. "So that's a good sign."

"Cool," I nodded before surveying my surroundings. The chamber we were in was huge. The ceiling must have been a good couple hundred feet tall, big enough to house a dozen or two satellites. How we didn't get totally destroyed was beyond me.

The other thing I noticed was that the way we came in was sealed. While we were busy crashing, I had failed to notice that a giant metal door had closed over the entrance. This left us trapped inside E-90, with no possible way out.

Not entirely true...

"See any way out of here, Sonic?" Tails asked.

I shook my head. "No, not yet. Doesn't mean we can _make_ our own way out. I'm just gonna pop up to the cockpit for a bit, assuming there's one, and see what's cracking."

"Good idea," agreed Tails. "In the meantime, I'll see what I can do to repair the Tornado. I'm warning you now that I can't guarantee a smooth takeoff."

"I'll appreciate any takeoff as long as it gets us outta here. But right now, I gotta juice!"

I immediately bolted toward what I thought was a door. After pulling on the handle, it became apparent to me that it was locked. Eggman had really thought things out.

That's when I realized the hinges were on the other side of the door. I had been _pulling_ instead of _pushing_. How stupid of me.

So after properly _pushing_ the door open this time, I sped my way through the ship. I knew as a fast there was no button, lever, knob, or anything that controlled the outside door from the chamber I was just in. This meant it had to be elsewhere on the ship.

Since I knew this layout of this ship about as well as I know my way around the surface of Mars, I won't lie when I say it took me three minutes tops to find the cockpit. Upon entering, I was greeted by four maintenance Egg Pawns. So mush for security.

Within the cockpit was a prominent switch that was labelled "Super Sweeper beak control", which was next to the controls to the hose. I grinned. This was almost too convenient.

Immediately the Egg Pawns turned and ran in my direction. Since they are probably the easiest robots to destroy (why does Eggman keep using them?), I home attacked the first two, then picked up the third and smashed it into the fourth. Dusting my gloves, I flipped the switch to the door, then ran back out of the cockpit.

Now that I (kinda) knew my way around the ship, it only took me a minute and change to make it back to Tails. A glance at the otherside of the room revealed that yes, I had activated the right switch. The door was now wide open.

I approached the Tornado. "How are the repairs coming, Tails?" I asked.

The kit looked up from his work. "Not as bad as I thought they would be," he reported. "Just a couple more tweaks and then we can be out of here."

"Good to hear," I replied.

It took another two minutes for Tails to announce that he was done. In this time, I had felt E-90 start to rise back into the sky. How was it still aloft if I destroyed all the maintenance robots in the cockpit. Then I realized something. It may be near the size of an Egg Fleet corvette, but it's still a robot. It can still move on its own.

"That should do it for now," Tails announced. I immediately hopped into the back seat. Tails climbed into the pilot's seat and started the engine. While it didn't sound the way it usually did, it still started.

We began to taxi forward. The exit was certainly large enough to fly out no problem. The only drawback I could see was that the Super Sweeper could activate its hose at any time, given it's a robot and not a true Egg Fleet ship. Then again, it still has a cockpit, so... it's a hybrid maybe?

Tails was able to fly us out of the belly of E-90 without any troubles. However, I couldn't help but notice the strained noise the Tornado's engine was making. Tails seemed to be flying with more determination than usual, evidence that he knew something must be wrong with the plane.

As we emerged into open air, I noticed that E-90's mouth remained open. Apparently the autopilot hadn't kicked in yet, aside from directional and altitude control. This also meant that, lucky for us, it didn't deploy its hose to recapture us. Instead, we had a couple other troubles to deal with.

Suddenly the Tornado's indicators blinked out once again, and the plane started to plummet. Apparently Tails had overlooked something. Either that, or there just wasn't enough time to make thorough repairs. Fortunately, Tails kept his cool.

"I can fix it!" he promised before opening one of the panels and getting to work. He had tried to level us out so our descent wouldn't be steep, but we started to lose a bit of altitude anyway. The wind stung my face as we fell faster. By my estimate, we were now falling at about a hundred feet a second. It seemed the problem was a little worse than Tails thought.

By the time Tails closed the hatch and took the controls once more, the Pacific Ocean was within two hundred feet of us. Tails pulled up with all his might to avoid crashing. We finally pulled out of our steep descent started to climb back into the sky. We had come within about twenty feet of the surface of the water. That was _way_ too close.

"What went wrong back there, Tails?" I asked after taking a few deep breaths.

"I might have underestimated the damage to the Tornado," he replied. "One of the secondary thrusters was damaged, which means I can't transform. The repairs I just made will only last until we get back home."

"You know the way back from here?"

Tails briefly scanned the coastline. "...Yeah, I think so."

As we flew back toward Chris' house, my mind began to be filled with many thoughts. Eggman may have won this round, but only because we weren't strong enough. We seemed too slow to escape the pull of its hose. We seemed too weak to do any damage to its turrets. And I couldn't just jump out and attack the turrets; doing so would leave Tails exposed to their laser fire. If he was shot down, I wouldn't have a ride back. It was time to change our strategy. I would make sure we were stronger and faster come round two.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Simply put, Sonic's and Tails' landing in the driveway was nothing short of rough. It seemed they were coming in too hot, as the Tornado nearly crashed into the garage. Fortunately, Tails was able to stop the plane in time and turn it around.

While Sonic slowly stood up, stretched, and hopped out of the plane, Tails sat there panting at the ordeal they had just gone through. Chuck appeared in the entry to the garage and became concerned once he saw the "slightly" damaged Tornado.

"That doesn't look too good," he said. "How did you do up there?"

"Well, Chuck, let's just say we're lucky to make it back in one piece," Sonic answered as he walked into the garage.

"It was that bad," marveled Chuck. "Did you ever destroy it?"

"No," Tails answered as he climbed out of the plane and landed on the ground. "It was too strong. It's already done a number to the Tornado and even sucked us inside. Thanks to Sonic, we were able to escape."

"Not to mention the motor shut off briefly on our way back," Sonic added. "Nothing Tails can't fix, right?"

As Tails entered the garage as well, Chuck's expression became grave.

"This is a serious matter," he spoke. "The longer that robot stays up there, the longer Eggman has control of the atmosphere. There are five thousand satellites at stake up there, and not one of them is safe from him. Something must be done as soon as possible."

Just then Chris ran into the garage, having heard the Tornado land from inside the house.

"Your plane's damaged, Tails," he noted. "What happened?"

"It was too strong for us," Tails replied. Chris seemed crestfallen, and Tails gave a weak smile. "I'm sorry, Chris. I hope you can go without Internet for just a little while longer. I promise, we'll liberate the atmosphere from Eggman's control."

"I hope so..." Chris sighed.

"Hey, do you think the problem might be because the Tornado is too slow?" Sonic spoke his mind at last.

"I _might_ be able to do something about that," answered Tails, "but one of the key factors we're dealing with here is energy conversion. Perhaps there's a way to implement the Chaos Emerald to the Tornado's systems, but that would be really risky."

"Is the Chaos Emerald really that bad?" Chris asked in astonishment.

"Not _bad_ per se," the fox responded, "but it can be pretty erratic without the Master Emerald to keep its power under control. Like I said, Chaos Emeralds can be used to power machines, but only if they are used correctly. I've never tried doing that with a Chaos Emerald in the state it's in now, so harnessing its energy can be dangerous." He scratched his head. "So even if we _did_ modify the Tornado, the Emerald's excess energy could pose a serious problem."

Chuck nodded. "Okay. So the problem here is finding a way to safely discharge the Emerald's excess energy."

"That's right," Tails nodded.

The gearhead talk seemed to pass right over Sonic head, hence his bored composure, but Chris seemed to understand it to an extent.

"I wouldn't want to just waste the Chaos energy, though," the kit added.

"No, of course not," Chuck replied, glancing at the Tornado. "Not unless we heavily modify the Tornado."

"There's a thought," mused Tails. "I thought to only add a space for the Chaos Emerald, but... What kind of upgrades were you thinking of?"

"Well, what if we added a second booster somewhere? That way, not only would there be another outlet for the Chaos energy, but the Tornado could travel faster as well."

"I like that idea," pondered Tails. "But in order to compensate for the extra booster, we should lower the power of the energy converter to allow it to spread evenly across both boosters."

"What kind of strain would that put on the engine?" Chuck realized.

Tails thought about it for a moment. "You raise a good point, Chuck. At this rate, we're going to have to gut the Tornado's engine and make a new one, especially since its current engine wasn't designed to run on Chaos energy." He cast a glance at the plane. "It's going to be a major overhaul."

Chuck slowly nodded. "That's a lot of work with so little time on our hands."

"Actually, you know what?" Tails perked up. "It's probably better to just build a whole new plane from scratch."

Chuck and Chris were stunned. Build a whole new plane? With what time? With what materials? And on his own?

"...I-I'm sorry," Chuck finally spoke. "Did I... did I hear that correctly?"

"It's no big deal," Tails responded. "Really, I've done stuff like this before."

"No big deal?" an awestruck Chuck repeated. "Tails, if you built the Tornado from scratch like you said you did, then no doubt you can build just about _anything_ you put your mind to."

Blushing, Tails rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know about 'anything', but I can certainly try."

Chris was too amazed to say anything. Tails, who seemed like a younger brother to him, was capable of building planes from scratch. How cool was that?

Chuck shrugged "Regardless," he stated once he regained his composure, "I'd like to show you something. Sonic, why don't you get something to eat while we're busy. We'll be back soon."

"Don't need to ask me twice!" Sonic responded before dashing off to the house, Chris not far behind (which is an understatement given Sonic's speed). Ella always made sure to have some chili dogs ready for Sonic for days like this.

Chuck walked over to what looked like an ordinary shelving unit. He moved a car battery aside, revealing a hidden panel.

"What are you doing, Chuck?" Tails asked in curiosity.

"Just entering the passcode," he mumbled.

"Passcode?" mused Tails in wonder.

A moment later the shelves moved to either side, revealing the open doors of a hidden elevator. Tails turned to Chuck in curiosity.

"You didn't tell me you had an elevator in your garage," he said in amazement.

"I rarely tell anyone about it; it's quite top-secret," he explained. "In fact, only Professor Pell and a few other government scientists know about it."

"Where does it lead?" Tails asked as he and Chuck stepped inside the elevator.

Chuck gave Tails a knowing smile as he pressed the down button. The elevator began to descend.

"You'll see," he replied quietly. "All I can say is you're going to love what I have to show you."

A few seconds later, after a surprisingly fast descent, the elevator doors opened, revealing a dark room, lit only by the light coming from the elevator. Chuck stepped out of the elevator and flipped a few light switches on the wall. The formerly dark room was now lit up by dozens of shop lights placed along the twenty-foot ceiling. The room was huge and quite spacious. Lining the side walls were shelves containing various tools and utensils. The rest of the room was bare, intentionally so to work with large projects.

Tails was utterly blown away at the sheer size and stock of Chuck's underground workshop. In fact, Chuck had to make sure the fox's jaw didn't hit the ground too hard.

"Like it?" Chuck asked, smiling.

"I love it!" Tails beamed. "It's so big!" Chuck chuckled a little.

"I haven't been down here since you and your friends arrived," he said. "Back in my day, I've made some amazing projects for Nelson when he was just getting started. He's also made some of his own inventions down here as well. Together, we developed some fascinating government technology here, including Sam Speed's first custom car."

"Wow, no kidding?" gushed Tails. "Now I really can't wait to get started on our new plane!"

" _Our_ new plane?" repeated Chuck in confusion. "Aren't you the one who's going to fly it?"

Tails nodded. "Yeah, but it's ours 'cause you're gonna help to build it, right?"

Chuck nodded, unable to suppress a smile.

"While I don't have a reason to doubt your skills, Tails," he spoke, "it takes months to build a plane, and even longer from scratch, if that's even possible."

"It's really no sweat," shrugged Tails. "I've done it before. Besides, this iteration of the Tornado was built in just two days."

"And you were pressed for time then, too," assumed Chuck.

"Well... yeah..."

"But we don't _have_ two days to build a whole new plane," he continued.

"Oh, that's okay!" Tails excitedly responded. "With your help, it's going to get done really fast. I don't normally work this fast on my creations, but dire situations call for dire measures."

"I know," Chuck nodded. "This means that we need to get started without any further ado."

Tails beamed. Needless to say, he was overeager to work on his- no, _their_ new project.

* * *

 **TIME SKIP.**

And so Chuck and Tails immediately got to work on their new plane, from blueprints to the actual design. Chuck was intrigued to know that, since being sent to Earth, Tails had been considering building a new Tornado. He had drawn a few blueprints for possible designs, and settled on one of them. Originally he had thought to build it himself, but with Chuck helping, he knew that the final design would be a little different than the blueprints, albeit in a good way.

Because of this, Tails and Chuck have devised new blueprints for the plane. Chuck was debating if the original design was streamlined enough, so they together altered it slightly. The final blueprint didn't seem to differ that much from the original, with the exception of a few ideas Chuck had.

About an hour later, at three in the afternoon, they finally began work on their massive collaboration. Fortunately, Chuck had a lot of steel plates and other parts lying around in case he needed them. "Always be prepared" was his motto.

Chuck was downright amazed and astounded at just how diligent, effective, and quick Tails was at his work. Likewise, the kit really enjoyed the many ideas, tips, and pointers Chuck gave. He felt honored to be able to work with someone who thought like he did. Similarly, Chuck was thrilled to actually collaborate with Tails. He was unlike Professor Pell or even his own son. In fact, Tails was in a class all his own.

Chuck stopped working around six for supper. As Tails didn't want to leave their project just yet, Chuck offered to bring supper down to him, to which Tails agreed.

About an hour later, after supper, Chuck returned to the underground lab to resume work with Tails. He found that the shell of the aircraft was already complete, and its programming was currently being implemented. A few moments later, Chris came downstairs to watch for a few moments. He didn't say much because, needless to say, he was amazed at the amount of work that was being done.

Chuck broke the productive silence. "There's still so much for me to learn about Chaos energy and how to properly use it."

"That's why I'm here," Tails responded. "I've had enough experience with Chaos energy to know more than a few ways it shouldn't be used."

Chuck nodded. "Good to hear. Out of curiosity, were any of those incidents as bad as when the Emerald had a meltdown two weeks ago?"

Tails looked up from the circuit board he was working with. "Oh no, nothing like that," he replied. "It was bad for me, but it was nothing like what we went through because the Master Emerald kept the Emeralds in check."

"The erratic nature of the Emeralds could make things interesting if Sonic goes 'super', as you call it," realized Chuck.

"Oh... I hadn't thought of that!" Tails exclaimed. "We'll need to monitor him if and when that happens. It could be..."

"...chaos," finished Chuck. Tails nodded.

At this point, the two seats and the areas surrounding them were now complete. Overall, Tails had settled on an aerodynamic design with four wings, which he drew inspiration from Earth's mecha anime. Chris had been watched some of said mecha anime, and Tails happened to be in the room. He wasn't watching it so much as he was being inspired by it. Additionally, Tails mentioned giving it some "secrets" as well.

Chris left soon afterward, and Chuck stopped working around ten, as it was the normal time to get ready for bed in the Thorndyke household.

"I think you should probably get some sleep too, Tails," he recommended.

"I know," Tails responded from his work, "but I want to get this done as soon as I can so we can defeat Eggman and get the cable and Internet back as soon as possible.

Chuck pressed the elevator button. "I understand, but without the proper amount of rest, you're going to be too tired to fly it."

"Oh, I'll sleep as soon as I finish," Tails insisted.

"If you say so, Tails," Chuck nodded as he stepped into the elevator. "Good night."

"'Night, Chuck," returned Tails as he resumed his work.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

"...I couldn't be more privileged to work with him," Grandpa was saying as he sipped his cup of decaf. It was just past ten, and we were gathered in the living room listening to him telling us of the plane he and Tails were building.

"And he says it'll be done tomorrow?" Ella asked.

Grandpa nodded. "Yes. Don't ask how he can build a plane so fast; it's beyond me too. I'm amazed at how fast the guy can work when under pressure."

"Wait, he can build a whole plane in just a _day?!_ " I repeated. Grandpa shrugged. Wow... Tails never ceased to amaze us...

Wait a minute! I had just thought of something! Perhaps there was a way I could help him somehow!

"I-Is it okay if I can run outside to see Tails for a moment?" I asked "I want to tell him something."

"But Master Chris, it is nearly your bedtime," Tanaka pointed out. Oh, didn't think of that.

"I know, Mr. Tanaka," I replied, "but I just got an idea for the new plane. Hope it's not too late."

"Yeah, it may be too late, as the plane is really coming along," Chuck said. "But maybe not. Yes, you may go, but be back in ten minutes."

I immediately jumped up and ran for the side door. "Okay, thanks!" I called behind me. I ran outside, forgetting to close it behind me. In my excitement, I had never told them what the idea was. I figured I could surprise my family and friends with it, however.

It was dark and cool outside, but the outside garage and porch lights illuminated my way enough for me to see clearly. At last I reached the garage door and opened it. Panting from my exertion, I walked over to the elevator and entered the passcode to the elevator. Only my grandpa, dad, and I knew the passcode, although Ella and Tanaka needed to be informed for security reasons.

The doors opened, and I stepped inside and pressed the button for the underground lab. The doors closed, and I descended toward the giant addition Grandpa had built. I was secretly intrigued to see how much more progress Tails had made since I was last down here.

When the doors opened, I saw that Tails had made considerably more progress than when I was last here. Now the entire front of the plane was complete. Actually, I shouldn't call it a plane any more; it looked a lot more like a jet.

"Back so soon, Chuck?" came Tails' voice from somewhere underneath his project.

"No, it's just me," I called. Tails scooted his dolly out from underneath the plane.

"Chris?" he confusedly asked, turning to face me. "What are you doing down here so late? Don't you usually go to bed around now?"

"Well... yeah," I said, "but I just thought of an idea for your plane. I hope it's not too late for it, though."

Tails stood up. "I've come a long way with this project, but _maybe_ there's room for change..." he mused. "Anyway, what do you have?"

"I was thinking, what if you added two extra seats in case you need to carry more people. That way you, Sonic, and Amy can all fit inside."

"And what about you?"

I gulped, thinking back on my one and only flight in the Tornado. It had taken a hit that caused us to plunge, and me to almost throw up. Plus it was tiny and prone to moving up and down fairly quickly. It was nothing like being on a jet plane.

"I... I wasn't really comfortable that last time and-"

"Don't worry, Chris," comforted Tails, sensing my anxiety. "This plane is completely different than the Tornado. If I had known we were going to head into battle immediately, I wouldn't have taken you."

I nodded. That was somewhat comforting, even if I had heard that before already.

"Did you like the idea?" I asked. Tails began looking over his project.

"Yeah, I do..." he nodded. "Just trying to think of where to put them. It's too late to add them with the existing two, but I can add a separate compartment for them near the back." He slowly walked toward the back of the plane, and I followed him. "I've been wondering what to do with the empty space anyway. Thanks for the idea."

"You're welcome," I responded, glad that the idea was considered and accepted.

"Okay, I have a quick favor for you. Could you get the Chaos Emerald down from your grandpa's lab?"

"Sure," I agreed, making my way back to the elevator, until I thought of something. "But... wouldn't it damage the plane or affect any other technology?"

"No, I don't think we should have any problems with that," Tails replied. "It's been on the stabilizer all day."

"Okay," I nodded. I headed back up the elevator and up the stairs into Grandpa's lab. I was thrilled that my idea was accepted. Now there would be four seats instead of two. Now I could say I was able to help with the new plane.

I quickly located the Chaos Emerald on the stabilizer on Grandpa's desk. Its soft green glow dimly lit the otherwise dark room. I removed it from the stabilizer (it felt cool to the touch) and toted it back down the stairs.

I had heard something that the plane was going to run on Chaos energy. This would be very cost-efficient in my opinion. If it solely ran on the power of the Chaos Emerald, then I was pretty sure the plane wouldn't even need fuel.

Returning to the workshop, I saw Tails working near what looked like the cockpit of the plane. I approached him and held out the Emerald. Tails saw and accepted it.

"Now Chris, I'd like you to try out the seats," he instructed. "I never got around to doing it with Chuck, so I'd like you to tell me how they feel."

"Okay," I agreed. I made my way over to the side of the cockpit, but was dismayed that it looked a little high up for me.

"Is there a ladder or something I can use?" I asked. "It's... kinda high up..."

"Uh, yeah, sorry about that," Tails said. "I've been meaning to make it easier to climb in."

He started to drag a ladder over to the plane. It was one of those typical five-step folding metal ladders. I helped him set it up, as it was a little large and probably heavy for him alone to set up.

"There, is that better?" asked Tails.

I nodded. "I hope so..."

So I began to mount the ladder. I managed to scale the first three steps just fine, but I had to step on to the fourth to be able to reach the edge of the cockpit. Then I had to raise my right leg up and into the cockpit. This felt pretty uncomfortable, but I finally worked up enough courage to let go of the ladder and fully get into the plane. I settled down in the back seat and turned to face Tails, who looked concerned over the whole ladder thing.

"It looks like I'm going to have to make a new ladder..." thought Tails.

I nodded. It was hard and awkward to climb into my seat. How was I going to get back down?

"Anyway, how does it feel?" he asked. "I need to know this because I'm not used to designing seats for humans."

I took a moment to admire the comfortable leather seat. It was cool due to the air conditioned temperature of the basement. Additionally, I had noticed a few control panels here and there, and even a foldable cup holder next to me.

"It's nice and comfortable," I responded. "There's plenty of leg room too."

"Good; I was worried about that," Tails smiled. "I designed these seats with you in mind. Chuck wasn't able to test them for himself since we were working on the rest of the plane. Now, could you test the safety harness? I need to make sure it's able to fit you."

I nodded and reached up to the harness above me. I pulled it down and attempted to strap it in. After struggling for a second or two, I heard the click of it fastening me into the seat. Now either it was too small, or...

"I think it's a little tight," I called down.

Tails nodded. "Okay. I was concerned about that. That means I'll need to loosen it first thing."

"So... did you think of a name for this plane yet?" I asked as I unbuckled.

"Not yet," he replied. "I was thinking about Tornado 3, but this plane feels so much different than my other ones. It's kind of... experimental."

He reached for the Chaos Emerald he had laid on the work bench.

"One last test," he announced. "Could you reach over and insert this Chaos Emerald into the slot in front of the pilot's seat?"

"Okay," I nodded, and Tails tossed the Emerald up to me. It almost slipped from my grasp, but I still caught it. I began to lean toward the slot the Chaos Emerald was supposed to go in, but I found that it was just out of my reach. Besides, it felt awkward reaching around a seat that took up nearly the whole width of the cockpit.

"Can't reach?" inquired Tails.

I shook my head. "Yeah. Sorry..."

"It's okay," Tails replied as he flew up to the cockpit. "I can do it." He took the Emerald from me and sat down in the pilot's seat.

"Okay, I'm going to test the engine," he told me before he placed the Chaos Emerald into the slot in front of him. I noticed that Tails had extra space around his seat to allow his tails to drape on either side of him. He pressed the button to start the engines...

...and it roared to life. It was suddenly so loud that I was forced to cover my ears. Tails didn't seem as startled, though. He pressed another button, and I saw the canopy lowering around us. I ducked as it sealed around us, since I thought that it wouldn't allow me to sit at my full height. With the canopy closed, the noise of the engine was reduced to a quiet hum.

Tails turned around in his seat to face me. "Sorry, did I startle you?"

"Yeah, but I'm fine now," I replied, starting to sit up straight. To my surprise, I found that the canopy did indeed clear my head! Even though it wasn't by much, I could still sit up straight and not have to worry about hitting my head.

"Okay, good. The canopy does fit over you. I was worried about that." He paused for a moment to think. "So the only thing to do here is to loosen the harness..."

I glanced at the Chaos Emerald and its mesmerizing glow in the slot for it. "Is the Emerald working like it should?" I asked.

Tails nodded. "So far, so good. I'll still need to test its full capabilities, but with the situation with the Master Emerald, it could be dangerous. Factor in time constraints and our situation with secrecy, not to mention that the attack on Eggman's robot will be its maiden voyage, and we have a very tight situation.

It took me a moment to digest all that. "Wow," I replied. "That's a huge risk."

"I know," Tails replied sadly, "but we're not left with a choice. There are five thousand satellites in space, all of them at risk of being turned into robot parts. If I took the time to perfect the plane, then there wouldn't be enough time to save the Earth from total calamity."

"Wait, he wants to turn the satellites into robot parts?" I queried.

"It's still unconfirmed, but it makes sense nonetheless."

After another moment of sitting there, Tails shut off the engine. To think that someone as young and smart as Tails built all this...

"I've added a safety lock for the Chaos Emerald when the engine is running, so it can't accidentally be removed," he explained as he removed the Chaos Emerald. "Please, never touch the Chaos Emerald with the engine running, as it is generating raw power that can cause burns."

My eyebrows raised. "I understand," I nodded as my friend pushed the canopy up. He looked down before his gaze fell on me.

"Oh, you're going to have a hard time getting down, aren't you?" he realized before standing up. I watched as he spun his tails at an extremely high speed behind him, then lifted himself into the air. It still amazed me how he could do that without having them twist behind him.

"I'll take your hands," he offered as he hovered above me. I lifted my hands above my head, and he grasped them firmly, firmer, than I thought he was capable of, and lifted me out of my seat. It felt strange being airborne, even if it was for only a few seconds.

Tails gently set me down on the ground and landed next to me. I caught a sudden blast of the wind generated by his namesakes, which made me take a step back.

"So, what do you think?" he asked me.

"I really like it," I nodded. "Think you can tell me what some of its other features are?"

"All in due time," replied Tails in a knowing tone, wagging a finger. "But I _can_ tell you that it's going to have stronger weaponry than the Tornado 2, and it's designed to be faster and more streamlined as well."

He started toward the elevator. "Sorry to keep you here so long, Chris," he apologized.

"It's okay," I replied. "I enjoyed helping you. Are you almost done?" I asked.

"Yeah," Tails nodded. "Just a few more hours, I think."

"But... don't you need sleep?"

"Yeah, I'll sleep eventually," he said, "but I'm almost done. Don't worry about me."

"Oh, okay then. I'll see you tomorrow morning, I guess?" I said as I walked over to the elevator and pressed the button. Tails nodded.

"Good night, Tails."

"Good night, Chris."

As I ascended the elevator, I wondered what the finished plane would look like, and what it would be called. I couldn't wait to see it fly.

...That is, if it _could_ fly. I mean, Tails hasn't test-flown it, yet, so... could it even fly?

* * *

 **TIME SKIP.**

I was awakened by a long tone, which I think was coming from the TV. Where was I? How did I get here?

Oh yeah...

Last night, when I returned to the house, Chuck asked what kept me, and said it had been fifteen minutes since I left. I told him Tails needed my help with a few things, and said he could be done in a few hours. Chuck said yes, he is a very busy and diligent lab partner. He would have given him some coffee, but doesn't know if he could tolerate caffeine at his age.

Also, Ella had surprised us with a DVD movie of my choice to make up for the lack of TV all day. I know, we could have done this earlier, but she discussed it with Tanaka when I was out helping Tails, and he agreed. I had selected The Secret Life of Pets, much to Amy and Cream's delight, even though they had never seen it before. It had been a few years since I had last seen it in theaters, so I guess I could use a refresher, especially with the sequel out now.

Ella even made popcorn for us, but due to the lateness of the hour, we had fallen asleep around the halfway point. And I didn't even brush my teeth...

Anyway, I woke up this morning to this long, annoying tone coming from the TV. Apparently Ella never turned off the TV last night was all I could figure.

Looking at the others, I saw that Amy was stirring, and Cream was already awake; she probably woke up just moments before I did. By now the tone was getting super annoying. Notably, it was displaying color bars instead of static. But... why would it be doing that if the TV's signal is out?

"Mr. Chris?" Cream whispered. "Are you awake?" I nodded. "Is this the TV coming back?"

"The Super Sweeper swallowed the satellite that is broadcasting the signal," I recalled, "so it can't be back now. I wish it was."

Glancing at the clock on the wall, I saw that it was 7:35 in the morning. Amy sat up when she saw the color bard the TV was displaying.

"Chris, can you turn that down?" she asked, slightly irritated by the tone. "That noise is going through my head."

I reached over to the remote on the coffee table and pressed the volume down button. Strangely, nothing happened.

"Why is this not working?" I wondered aloud. "Didn't we just change the batteries in this thing?"

"This isn't normal," Amy added as I tried to turn off the TV to no avail. "What's going on?"

"Does this mean the TV's broken for real?" Cream asked sadly.

"Wait, I think I know!" Amy piped up. "What if somehow we're picking up a signal from another station, one that _doesn't_ need a-"

Suddenly several things happened at once.

One: The tone suddenly stopped.

Two: The image cut to a studio of some sort - at least, what I _thought_ was a studio.

Three: We saw Doctor Eggman laughing face in front of the camera.

All of this was so sudden that we were all taken by surprise. Our hearts nearly leapt out of our throats, and Cream even squeaked in fright and cowered behind Amy.

"Good morning, residents of southern California," Eggman spoke. The way he sounded like both a threat and a real news reporter sent chills down my spine. I sat up to hear what he had to say. "Before you ask, no, your satellite TV is not back, and it won't be until you respect me, which I hope for your sake is soon.

"Anyway, I have hacked your signal so I can reveal the full extent of my plan. In case anyone was wondering about the widespread Internet and cable outage that started yesterday, yes, yours truly is responsible. It is all on account of my E-90 Super Sweeper unit I have deployed to the exosphere. You see, you pathetic humans have sent so much space junk up there that it's worth nothing but robot material. Now E-90 is neutralizing all of your satellites and preparing to ship them back to my headquarters."

Doctor Robotnik was sick, I can tell you that. Think of the damage he could cause to the infrastructure by removing just a few satellites. Cream slowly let go of Amy as Eggman continued.

"Now here's the next part of my plan, and you may want to pay attention for this one. Today, I'm going after the king of all robot parts: the satellite you call the International Space Station! It contains several humans I can roboticize, as well as a _huge_ assortment of parts I can use to make superior robots out of your inferior technology! Best of all, Tails' puny plane can't even ascend more than a mile or two in the sky. We're talking three _hundred_ miles up. So if you want to try to stop me this time, Sonic, I suggest you try a little _harder_!"

With one more hearty laugh, the TV faded back to the colors bard and its annoying loud tone, then to static - just the way it was when we initially lost signal.

"The International Space Station?" Amy repeated, mulling over the doctor's plan after a moment of silence. "What's that?"

"It's a space station built by several nations," I recalled from my history studies. "It's populated by mostly astronauts and scientists. I think it's the closest we've come to colonizing space."

"If Dr. Eggman _does_ destroy the space station, then he's going to undo all their hard work!" Cream realized.

"I know," I tried to reassure her. "Sonic is not going to let that happen, I promise." I actually surprised myself with what I had just said. I'd only known Sonic for three weeks, and already I trusted him to save the world. Not that I didn't trust him, but I think that his easygoing and determined mindset was rubbing off on me somewhat.

"It looks like Sonic's speculation was right," mused Amy. "I sure hope Tails has finished his plane by now." Before I knew it, she had leaped up from her place on the couch and was bolting toward the back door.

"Wait for me!" I called, but she was already out the door. I grabbed my shoes and put them on, then raced outside after Amy. Cream and Cheese followed suit.

I too hoped Tails had finished his project. Bud did he get any sleep after he finished, assuming he did? Would he be able to stay awake enough to fly his new plane without losing control? Not to mention this plane has never been flown before. What if it didn't work? Then not only would we never get our cable and Internet back, but Dr. Eggman would be able to build stronger robots as well!

I pushed all these thoughts to the back of my head as we arrived at the garage. To my surprise, the garage door was open, and Grandpa and Tails were already up. Unfortunately, I was not surprised to see that Tails looked exhausted. I saw that he had moved the Tornado off the driveway to make room for his new plane.

"Morning, guys," Tails said tiredly as he was busying himself in the garage, preparing for his big reveal.

Amy approached Grandpa. "Chuck, did he get _any_ sleep last night?" she asked tenderly.

"Yes, he did," he answered. "He finally finished and went to bed around three in the morning."

"So he only got four hours of sleep?" Amy asked. Grandpa nodded, and I thought that Tails was seriously determined to save our planet from Doctor Eggman. The hero from Undertale had nothing on him in that category.

"How is Tails even able to build a whole plane in just one day?" I asked. Amy shrugged. Wow... Tails was seriously gifted, even in accomplishing tasks that should be impossible.

"Do you want to reveal your project, or shall I?" Chuck asked Tails. The fox looked up, a glint of excitement in his eyes.

"I'll do it!" he answered eagerly.

Grandpa nodded. "Okay. Just give me one minute." He dashed toward the house. For someone his age, he was surprisingly fit. I assumed he was going to get Ella and Tanaka; they wouldn't want to miss out on the big reveal.

Just then Sonic ran up to us, presumably back from one of his morning runs. "Morning, gang!" he greeted.

"Good morning, Sonic," the rest of us replied as the hedgehog walked up to Tails.

"You think you're awake enough to take on Eggman?" he asked with concern. Tails nodded, stifling a yawn.

"I'll be fine," he answered, but Sonic was not so easily convinced.

"You sure, buddy? I'm pretty sure only four hours of sleep aren't enough to go on at your age."

"Really, I'm okay," insisted Tails. "Besides, I have to go. Only I know how to operate my new plane."

Sonic nodded in understanding. "If you say so, Tails. Promise you _will_ try to get some sleep when all is said and done."

Tails smiled. "I don't think you'll need to tell me twice."

Almost two minutes later, I saw Grandpa returning, this time with Ella and Tanaka in tow. It seemed he was a little too eager to show them Tails' project, for they had to somewhat jog to keep up.

Upon seeing the new arrivals, Tails grabbed a remote control from off the counter in the garage and stepped outside.

"Everyone ready?" he called. Needless to say, we were all eager to see what he had to show us.

"Okay, on three," he announced. After counting down from three, he pressed a button on the remote, and we watched as the entire garage was lifted into the air. The secret workshop rose to the surface from underneath the garage. It wasn't very often this happened; in fact, the last time I remember Chuck doing this was when he finished one of his government projects. It looked like the function still worked after all that time, so... there's that.

I'll just sum up everyone's reactions (except mine and Grandpa's, of course), and say that we would need to get the push broom to sweep up everyone's fallen jaws. Tails smiled proudly.

"May I present the X-Tornado!"

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Activity in the surveillance room this morning was the highest it had been in months. Nearly a hundred officials were gathered around the monitors. The situation up in the exosphere had become a red alert.

Even though they were located in the desert region of eastern California, near the border with Nevada, they were still able to receive Dr. Robotnik's broadcast across the entire region. If he seriously was going after the ISS, then they would be in serious trouble.

After passing through the security checkpoint, a newcomer officer, Petersen, entered the room and assumed his post at one of the monitors.

"Is it positive there has been no activity from Robotnik's shuttle since its combat yesterday?" he asked.

"Yes," Overseer Reinhardt responded. "It appears to have been hibernating during the night. We have observed a utility shuttle being launched from Robotnik's base en route to E-90 about 2100 hours yesterday. I believe Robotnik is attempting repairs."

"That was quite the assault that Sonic the Hedgehog made upon the shuttle," Officer Hale said.

"He may very well be our only hope," Officer Washington replied.

"Maybe not," Reinhardt interjected. "Robotnik's down time has allowed us to prepare the EMP satellites we've launched a year ago. Mr. Bulger, what is their progress?"

"The last of them is being moved into position, sir," Lieutenant Daryl Bulger reported. "Awaiting orders to prime them."

"Sir, I hate to object," Hale stated, "but is this really the best strategy we can come up with? I mean, we've seen what Robotnik's shuttle is capable of. We lost a cool fourteen satellites to that thing yesterday."

"We have no choice," Reinhardt solemnly responded, just as Petersen stood up.

"Sir, we've just received a report that the E-90 craft has been fully repaired and is returning to the upper atmosphere," he reported.

Reinhardt nodded. "That's our cue. Have the satellites' jamming mechanisms primed and ready to activate on my command."

"Yes, sir," Bulger replied. "Estimating seven minutes until all satellites are primed."

Ernest Reinhardt hoped this would be enough time. Never would he have believed that international espionage would be carried out in such a manner as this. He might have expected hacking or a missile crisis from other governments, but a giant robot with a tractor beam hose? Doctor Robotnik and his E-90 Super Sweeper have proven themselves to be an international threat. If the secret military branch known as Area 99 couldn't stop this robot, then who would?

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

Jaws were agape at the sight of Tails' brand new X-Tornado (better get that push broom). In short, it resembled an anime fighter jet. If it had its own LEGO model, it wouldn't look out of place in my LEGO Exo-Force collection. It had a conical nose, two large thrusters, and two pairs of wings that looked like they could fold up.

"So you built this in just thirteen hours?" Ella was agape. "Wow..."

Tails blushed. "It was based on some blueprints I designed earlier," he replied. "With Chuck's help, it was all downhill from there.

"Why is it called the X-Tornado?" I asked. "Is it because of the wings?"

"Exactly," Tails nodded. "Its wings are designed to fold out in an X-shape mid-flight."

"It kinda reminds me of the X-Wings in Star Wars."

Tails looked confused. "...X-Wings...?"

"Yeah," I responded. "I think we'll need to watch Star Wars together some time."

"So what are some of the features you gave it, Tails?" Amy asked, scanning the X-Tornado up and down.

"Well, to start with, it's got laser cannons, a ring shooter for Sonic, and seats for four, which happens to be Chris' idea," he explained, winking at me. "Originally it was going to have just two seats like the Tornado 2, but I kinda didn't know what to do with the extra space. Besides, with four seats, I can carry more passengers if I need to."

"That was a great idea you had, Chris," complimented Grandpa.

"Thanks."

I turned back to the X-Tornado, a wave of sudden excitement sweeping over me. "So, uh, is it just Sonic and Tails going up to stop the Super Sweeper?"

Sonic nodded. "Yeah, unless Amy wants to come."

"I'm good, thanks," she replied. "Besides, I want to see how smoothly the X-Tornado flies before I try it myself."

"Good idea," agreed Tails. "There may be a few kinks I'll need to iron out later on, since it's brand new and all."

That wave of excitement, not to mention nervousness, became a tsunami. "Can I... can I go with you...?"

Sonic looked almost taken aback for a moment. What would he say? Judging by the look on his face, I think I knew what his answer was.

"Chris, I don't think that's a good idea," he said. "I'm not risking you dying again, not for anything. And besides, no one your age has ever been where we're going." On top of that, the X-Tornado has never been flown before, and I heard that Tails nearly lost the Tornado 2 to the Super Sweeper yesterday. So why did I think that this would be a good idea?

"I know, Sonic, but Tails might really need someone who can watch his back while you're busy with the Super Sweeper."

Now Tails looked almost as unsure as Sonic. They glanced at each other. Was going with them really worth it? I mean, they're going to the edge of space, where pretty much no one under thirty has ever been, except for a couple guys.

"Chuck, Chris can't go to space," protested Ella.

"I know, but trust me," he responded. "He's with Sonic. He'll be safe."

Finally Sonic turned to me. "All right, you can come. But promise you'll listen to me and Tails if we need you for anything, m'kay?"

"Okay, Sonic," I agreed. I could tell that Sonic wasn't comfortable with this, but I wanted to help him, even if it meant boldly going where no kid has gone before.

As Grandpa moved the five-step ladder next to the X-Tornado's cockpit, I exchanged hugs with Ella, Amy, and Cream.

"Goodbye, Mister Chris," a slightly teary Cream called as I headed over to the plane.

"Bye, Cream!" I called back. "Knowing Sonic, we'll make it back in one piece."

"That's the spirit!" Sonic complimented as I mounted the ladder. I barely made it in this time. It wasn't any more graceful than the last time I got in.

"I really need to make a new ladder," Tails noted from his seat at the controls.

Meanwhile, I saw Amy hugging Sonic, who squirmed a little in her grasp. It looked almost comical.

"Good luck, Sonic!" she said. "You too, Tails! And stay safe, Chris!"

I waved to her and the others standing by as Sonic leaped atop the X-Tornado. There were two other seats behind us, so why wasn't he sitting inside?

"Um... Isn't Sonic gonna get in?" I wondered aloud.

"There's no need for him to," Tails pointed out. "Mobians can survive the vacuum of space for up to one hour, and besides, Sonic needs to be outside so he can personally take on the Super Sweeper.

He can WHAT now?!

"Did you say he can _survive in space_?!" I exclaimed, overly awed.

"Yeah," he said. "Quite awhile back, a scientist accidentally discovered that it was possible to survive in space unassisted for up to an hour, even without air. Of course, it's not recommended for anyone, but Sonic is quite the daredevil." He adjusted himself in his seat. "Of course, the cold of space and the cold of snowy regions are entirely different things; we still have to bundle up when the temperatures really drop."

"But don't you have fur?"

"Sometimes, even we can handle the very low temperatures, so we have sweatshirts and sometimes coats. Okay, are you buckled up back there?"

"I am," I replied back.

"Okay. Starting engines now," he said before he pulled the canopy shut. This time, I found I didn't need to duck to allow it to clear my head. That was good.

Next, Tails pressed a few buttons to start the X-Tornado. Due to the canopy muffling the sound, it wasn't nearly as loud as it was when I was in the workshop. Also, it wasn't reverberating around the walls like it was.

So Mobians can go in space without a spacesuit? But there's no air up there... not to mention it's freezing. Then again, the Mobians are aliens. Also, I realized it was a good thing they could endure the harshness of space. If Sonic had sat in a compartment with me, and leaped out to combat the Super Sweeper, then I would die in space. Even if we weren't in space, if the canopy was opened mid-flight, then I would have the wind rushing at me at maybe five hundred miles per hour. One word: NOPE.

I saw the palm trees on either side of the driveway bend outward. They had been planted on a series of pivoting ramps that Grandpa had built years before. This setup was in place because of experimental government jets that Dad was working on when he was younger, as well as different types of race cars for Uncle Sam. The vehicles kept damaging the trees (one even snapped in half), but Grandpa loved the trees, so he created this setup to avoid making that mistake again.

I've never been in a military jet before, but the X-Tornado certainly felt like one. As we taxied forward, I once again found myself admiring the leather seats and the easy communication inside the cockpit.

We were starting to pick up speed, and I felt myself getting nervous, almost to the point where my palms started to sweat. There was no turning back now.

"Extending upper wings," Tails announced as the two upper wings started to unfold to their maximum length. I don't know if he was talking to himself or whatever, but I found it cute.

"Lifting off."

Tails pulled back on the joystick, and it started to take off. _Fast_ _._ Quite a bit faster than I thought. Faster than I was comfortable with.

As we ascended, I thought of one time where there was a storm in Pittsburgh, where Dad works. Grandpa, Tanaka, Ella, and I had been visiting him, and we were on our way back home. Anyway, the Delta Airlines jet we were in took off so fast during the storm that I thought the pilot might have been ex-Air Force.

"Retracting landing gear," Tails announced fifteen seconds later. "Extending third and fourth wings."

At a quick glance down, I saw that the the ground was getting farther and farther away, not to mention I could now see the tip of one of the lower wings extending. I began wondering is any of this was worth it. I mean, I trusted Sonic enough that he could easily take care of me, but we were in a plane that's never been flown before. Looking up, I saw the clouds getting closer.

I couldn't believe it.

We were heading to the edge of space.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

The command center of Eggman's fortress was quiet that morning, with the exception of its sole occupants, Decoe and Bocoe. They had their batteries recharged early so they could monitor the repairs that E-90 was undergoing all night. Bokkun had been in the command center to watch the action about five hours ago, but had gotten bored.

Now, at 7:54 AM, the repairs had finally been completed, and the Super Sweeper was on its way back to the upper atmosphere to finish what it had started. The only damage done to the robot was to the hull. It had taken a few hits from its own missiles, courtesy of the blue thorn in Eggman's side. Additionally, its garbage bin had been located, retrieved, and reinserted into the robot, and it was outfitted with a new Egg Pawn crew, even though E-90 had an autopilot. Fortunately, they reported that none of the fourteen satellites they had acquired have been damaged.

However, they were met with an unexpected roadblock: three satellites armed with EMP equipment. Daunting, yes, but certainly nothing E-90 couldn't handle.

"The satellites are equipped with electromagnetic pulse generating technology," Decoe warned the crew aboard the Super Sweeper.

"Activate the energy shield and proceed as planned," instructed Bocoe.

"Affirmative," came the response over the radio.

Over the next four minutes, Decoe and Bocoe saw the three dots representing the satellites vanishing from the radar. Crisis averted. If that was the best the government could come up with, then this mission would be a _space_ walk in the park, pun intended.

Just then a new blip on the radar appeared - and was approaching E-90. This was not part of the plan.

"Enemy inbound. Activate scan of the enemy craft," he told Bocoe before warning the E-90 robot crew of the incoming threat.

A moment later, the scan was complete. "Initial scans indicate Mobian technology is present," Bocoe reported.

"I will contact Doctor Eggman," Decoe announced. He picked up a radio used to contact the doctor directly whenever he was away. He knew Eggman carried a radio with him at all times.

"Doctor, I hate to rouse you from hibernations, but we have a situation concerning E-90," he announced.

Eggman took a moment to respond, but when he did, he sounded tired. "What is the nature of this... situation?" he asked.

"An enemy craft is approaching," Decoe reported. "Mobian technology has been detected, which indicates that the craft is affiliated with Sonic the Hedgehog."

There was no response. At the very mention of the Blue Blur's name, Decoe knew that his master's blood was boiling, and that he was on his way down to the command center right now...

...and he was right. Two minutes later, the fully-dressed doctor showed up in the command center.

"Sonic so soon?" he mused as he strode over to the console. "I must know how he managed to atone for his loss so unrealistically quickly."

He pressed a few buttons on a keypad, which brought up one of E-90's long-range cameras. He was able to see a fighter jet that didn't look like it was of human origin."

"Interesting..." he said. "I've never seen a craft like that before, not even from GUN. That must have been built by Tails!"

"Impossible, Doctor," Bocoe countered. "We have observed his craft nearly being destroyed by E-90."

"Additionally, E-90 is currently 186 miles up in the atmosphere," added Decoe.

"Tails must have been very motivated," decided Eggman. "He's been known to work all night on some projects if he has to. This must have been one of them." He turned to his hench-bots. "But never mind that! Order E-90 to engage the enemy and destroy it at all costs!"

"Yes, Doctor," both robots saluted as they got to their work.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

The X-Tornado was rapidly ascending through the clouds. As we rose higher and higher, I could feel the intense pressure on my chest (nothing unbearable, though), as well as the sensation of my ears popping. Too bad I didn't have any gum to fix that.

At my estimate, we must have been about fifty miles in the air. This was the first time I had ever been this high up in a vehicle this small.

"How are you doing back there, Chris?" Tails asked from in front of me.

"Pretty good, I think," I replied. "It's just that I've never been to space before, and... it feels... really different..."

"I know that feeling," Tails said, and I recalled when he told me about having to fly up to a space station to stop Eggman. "On the plus side, the X-Tornado is running fairly smoothly for its first flight."

Just then I hear a beeping sound coming from Tails' console. "What's that?" I asked.

"The radar," he responded. "That means an enemy craft is within radar range. Hang tight; the Super Sweeper is just ahead."

And just ahead it was. In fact, I didn't even have to strain to see it. It was enormous. In fact, I don't think the United States even made any aircraft that large. It must have been as big as the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier from the Avengers movies, but it was green and resembled a bird.

The battle began when E-90 launched six missiles in our direction. I don't want to say I panicked, but I ducked behind the seat, trying not to whimper. But when nothing happened five seconds later, I looked up and saw that they were now behind us. Tails had successfully dodged them.

The fox then gave the OK hand signal to Sonic, who nodded and leaped from the wing toward the Super Sweeper. Surprisingly, the craft only shook a little from his vault. I was amazed at how far and fast the hedgehog could jump.

I couldn't see it very well now, as the plane was banking to the right, but I saw Sonic curling into a ball and spinning toward the giant robot's hull. The robot's turbolaser batteries fired a barrage of lasers at him (before you ask, yes, they do have the laser sound effects and travel slower than the speed of light). Somehow, they all missed. Apparently nothing could stop the Fastest Thing Alive in his tracks.

Now Tails flew back toward the Super Sweeper and opened fire as well. The X-Tornado fired its own stream of lasers at the laser batteries, destroying cannon after cannon. Smoke poured from where they used to be.

Sonic landed on E-90, but with the decreased friction this high up in the atmosphere, he had to grab on to the base of one of the destroyed cannons to ensure he didn't float away, even if the floating sensation doesn't start until you're much higher up in the atmosphere. The Super Sweeper was gradually flying upward toward the upper atmosphere.

One Sonic was sure he had a secure footing, he began to burrow a hole into the outer armor of the robot. I watched as he entered the Super Sweeper and disappeared from sight.

"Is he gonna destroy it from the inside?" I asked. Tails shook his head.

"No, he's got some unfinished business first," he replied.

"What do you mean?"

"The satellites inside. He still needs to release them."

Then I understood. Had Sonic destroyed the robot immediately, he would also have destroyed all the satellites the Super Sweeper abducted. That would not make his image look good to the people of Earth.

About twenty seconds passed before I notice something coming out from underneath the robot. I strained to see what it was, and to my delight, it was a satellite! With it came another and another, and soon a total of maybe twenty robots emerged from the belly of the Super Sweeper. I couldn't resist cheering out loud.

"He did it!"

" _We_ sure did," he said, "but that's only half the battle. Now we have to prevent the Super Sweeper from neutralizing any more satellites."

Tails turned the X-Tornado back around to blast more of the turbolaser batteries to bits. So he said that _we_ helped free the satellites. That includes me, right? But I didn't feel like I really didn't do anything. If only there was a way I could actually help them for real...

I glanced down, and couldn't help but admire the beauty of Earth from this high up. While we weren't quite in space yet, I could still see everywhere, even the curve in the earth's horizon. I could clearly make out the coastline of California. It had only been fifteen or twenty minutes since takeoff, and already we were almost a hundred miles up. I knew that Tails had an intelligent mind most humans lacked if he could build aircraft this fast and efficient in such a shot time.

Suddenly the X-Tornado banked sharply to the left, narrowly avoiding some fresh laser fire. The sudden movement roused me from my daydream.

"Chris, remember the mission," admonished Tails. "You need to watch my back, okay?"

"Okay. Sorry..."

"Hey, it's okay. I too caught myself daydreaming in space- Whoa!"

A rogue missile narrowly missed clipping the lower right wing. I guess that's why they're called... _miss_ iles? Ba-dum-tish. Laaaaame...

"Can you get any closer?" I asked.

Tails looked around for an opening, the shook his head. "Nope. The lasers are too thick."

Indeed, the Super Sweeper was firing a laser shower at us that must have been about as thick as Wily E. Coyote's brain. Some of the lasers even flew in front of our flight path, and others struck the X-Tornado, rocking the craft and garnering a yelp of surprise from me.

Just then I spotted Sonic walking on the hull of E-90, having emerged from inside a moment ago. "Wait a minute, I think Sonic's going to take care of it..." I said.

Sure enough, Sonic took a few steps back, and spun his entire body toward the cannon. He was like a living buzzsaw at that moment. Yes, he destroyed the cannon (there was no sound from the explosion since we were quite high up in the atmosphere), but the force caused him to start to float away. I opened my mouth to report this back to Tails, but saw that he was able to grab part of the ship's hull just in time. At least... I _think_ it was a ship. It looked way too big to be a standard robot.

"How high up are we?" I asked. Tails glanced at one of his measurements.

"128 miles," he reported. "Though I'm not sure how much higher I can go. The X-Tornado was made for high-altitude travel, not space travel. We'll need to destroy E-90 before it can reach the exosphere."

128 miles... no kid has ever been above 30,000 feet or so. To think I was the first kid to make it to space. To think that the space race has been won by alien tech...

No. I shouldn't let myself be distracted again. Good thing I caught myself at that moment.

"Tails! More missiles are coming!" I warned. Probably should have told him where they were coming from...

Fortunately Tails saw them in the nick of time and dropped down to avoid them. All six of them passed above us, and I could breathe again... until I saw another laser battery aiming at us. Sonic had taken notice and curb stomped a massive dent into the cannon before backing away. It tried to fire at us, but the damage done to it caused it to explode instead. Another cannon less to fire at us.

Just then I saw a massive hose-like mechanism extending out of the "mouth" of the Super Sweeper. This must have been how it was acquiring satellites. It was huge, big enough for the X-Tornado to fit in. And it was aiming at us.

Before I knew it, the Super Sweeper activated its vacuum, which seemed to be more like a tractor beam. I felt the craft getting closer to the daunting hose, and I knew we were about to become its "lunch".

"It's sucking us in!" I realized.

"Don't panic; I've got this!" assured Tails as he pressed a button on his console. "Hold on tight; we'll get out of this."

I felt the X-Tornado lurch forward as we rapidly gained speed. This high up in the atmosphere, "lurch" isn't as strong a word, given there's no air this high up.

Eventually our speed was higher than the hose's pulling power, and we were finally able to escape the pull of Eggman's robot. I breathed a sigh of relief... until I saw that the hose was now aiming at Sonic.

"Like _that_ _'s_ going to do anything," Tails chuckled. "Sonic's already opened the door to release the satellites. Even if he's sucked inside, he can just jump right back out."

That was true. I looked to the other side to see that-

"The missiles are coming back from our left!" I reported. I did not expect them to boomerang back the way they did. I didn't think they could do that. However, this _was_ Eggman technology we were dealing with.

Tails looked and saw the approaching missiles as well.

"I might not have to do much at all," he decided as he flew directly toward the side of the hose.

"Tails! What are you doing?!" I exclaimed.

"I've got a plan," was all he said as the hose got closer and closer. The missiles were tailing us. Then I began to realize what his plan was...

He pulled up at the last second to allow the six missiles to collide with the hose, destroying it. That was an ingenious move. We had just destroyed the Super Sweeper's hose without firing a shot.

"Now it can't capture any more satellites," I realized.

"That's right," nodded Tails, "but now we need to finish the job. We don't want Eggman eventually repairing this thing."

"I know."

Just because E-90 didn't have a hose did not mean is was completely defenseless.

A giant green dumpster-like thing came out of the bottom of the Super Sweeper and flew directly toward us. A dumpster? I guess Eggman must have been desperate... Tails immediately banked right and avoided the flying projectile. I began wondering why Eggman wanted to put a dumpster inside his biggest robot I've ever seen.

We started to gain on the rapidly fleeing Super Sweeper, and I noticed Tails yawning.

"Are you sure you can do this, Tails?" I asked. Not that I doubted his skills or anything, but...

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, you only got four hours of sleep, and-"

"Don't worry about me," Tails said. "I'll sleep after we destroy E-90, which hopefully won't be too much longer... Fortunately we're faster than E-90. One of our attacks damaged its secondary engines, so it will probably take around three hours at this rate before it reaches the International Space Station."

Now that we were close enough, Sonic leaped back onto the X-Tornado's wing. That's when I noticed that some looked a little off about him.

"He's shivering," I noticed. "Is it because of the low temperatures in space?"

"It is," Tails responded. "Like I said, most Mobians can handle the extreme cold in space. We can handle extreme heat in space, too, but we're still subject to extreme temperatures when we're on the ground."

"That reminds me of something I learned in school," I reminisced. "Temperatures in space and the upper atmosphere are normally a few thousand degrees, but there are so few air molecules up here that they fail to transfer heat. That's why Sonic is cold."

"You really are smart, you know," Tails smiled.

At that moment we were now close enough to the Super Sweeper to launch a devastating attack, but Sonic didn't move. The thing was, he couldn't. He appeared to be frozen in place, even stuck to the X-Tornado. Come to think of it, I was starting to feel a little chilly myself. It wasn't anything too extreme, but I could use a jacket.

"Will a Power Ring save him?" I asked. Tails pressed the corresponding button...

...but nothing happened. I assumed the rings could save him. They glowed so brightly when I observed Sonic using one on Missile Wrist. I assumed they felt warm, too, so they could maybe heat his inner core as well and give him the strength and energy he needs to prevail.

But nothing happened when Tails tried to launch a ring, so I tried to figure out what happened. We _did_ take a few hits from the Super Sweeper's lasers. Maybe it damaged the ring compartment enough so that it couldn't open. At least, that's what I _think_ happened.

During this time, Tails seemed silent as he maintained his flight pattern. It looked as though he was in thought.

"Tails?"

"Hold on..."

A moment later, Tails looked up and pressed another two buttons. A tray next to my seat extended out. At first I thought it was the cup holder, but it was another tray beneath it. Inside was a Power Ring. I had seen them up close when Tails was working on a duplicator for them, but they always were a wonder to behold. They looked like they possessed great power.

"I thought the rings were for Sonic only," I recalled.

"They are," answered Tails, "but I'm going to try something different instead. See the cables underneath my seat?" I nodded. "Take the ring and connect it to the yellow wire. Then plug the wire into the power jack on your right side."

I was confused. "What's that going to do?"

Suddenly the Super Sweeper launched another barrage of missiles at us.

"There's no time for questions!" Tails blurted. "Hurry! Sonic needs that ring!"

At the sudden urgency in Tails' voice, I grabbed the ring and reached for the yellow wire. I was just about to connect the two when the craft suddenly lurched from the force of an explosion. Surprised, I accidentally dropped the Power Ring. It didn't fly far, though. Good thing the missiles explode silently this high up in the atmosphere.

"Did you get it?" Tails asked.

"Sorry, I dropped it," I mumbled as I picked up the ring and attached it to the wire, which looked like it was made for Power Rings. I quickly located the correct power jack and plugged the wire into it. Immediately I began to feel warmer, and I saw that Sonic was feeling warmer too.

About fifteen seconds later, Sonic regained full mobility, and gave the two of us a thumbs-up. Looking down, I saw the ring dissolve into the wire. It popped out of the craft, where Sonic caught it. A bright glow enveloped him, forcing me to squint. Now that he had gained the ring's power, he hurtled toward the Super Sweeper from zero to was-that-a-draft in the blink of an eye. He burst through the hull of the robot effortlessly.

"Now all that remains is that Sonic finds and destroys the robot's reactor," said Tails.

A moment later, he did - with explosive results. The explosion was silent. There was no sound, not even fire. There was no air to carry the sound or fuel the fire. We felt some of the explosive force, but fortunately, none of the debris hit us.

Next Tails quickly located Sonic floating among the debris, and decreased his speed slightly so that he wouldn't accidentally hit him. Sonic saw the X-Tornado in time and grabbed on to the wing as we turned back toward the earth.

Toward the earth...

My heart was still racing from our battle, and the fact that I was the first kid in space. This was unbelievable. I wish I had pictures to show everyone at home. The earth was unbelievable to look at. Now that our battle was over, I could have time to be mesmorized by the earth's beauty. From up here you couldn't tell that Eggman was at large.

"Your planet is really beautiful..." Tails commented. He too was engrossed in the beauty of Earth. I could only nod in agreement.

"I still can't believe that I'm in space right now," I said.

"It's an experience you'll never forget," replied Tails. "It's been a while since I piloted one of my vehicles into space."

"Was that during the war?" I asked.

Tails nodded. "Yeah. I have a craft - _had_ , rather - back on Mobius called the Blue Typhoon. I was going to take it up to the Death Egg to stop Eggman, but it took considerable damage, so we had to commandeer one of his own rockets instead. I almost couldn't break the passcode to the rocket..."

"Sounds fascinating," I remarked. "I want to hear more about the war some time."

"Some time," he repeated. "Okay, Chris, I'm warning you now that it's not going to be pleasant going back into Earth's atmosphere. We're going to feel tremendous pressure, and you may feel like you're falling for a moment. Please try to hold your lunch down; the upholstery in here is brand new."

That reminded me that I hadn't eaten yet today. I nodded and braced myself for the worst as we neared Home Sweet Earth.

* * *

 **TIME SKIP.**

TIME SKIP.

It took about twenty minutes for us to descend into the lower atmosphere, which was way sooner that what I had expected. During the descent, I had nearly thrown up, but I was able to keep it in. It was nothing short of unpleasant. All in all, my first trip to space wasn't that bad.

Look at me, saying this is my first trip to space. I sort of wished it was my last, though.

Sooner than I thought, we reentered Station Square, and were soon bearing down on the driveway of home. Even though Tails was slowing down, he was still descending too fast. As he landed, he nearly crashed into the garage, sending our hearts racing. But we stopped just in time, mere feet away from the garage door. Sonic jumped down from the wing as Tails backed up and prepared a tedious back-and-forth motion so it would face away from the house, thus preparing it for its next takeoff.

"So, do you plan to put the X-Tornado back in the workshop?" I asked.

"Hmm... No, I don't think there's any need to right now. Besides, your grandpa may need the workshop for future projects."

As the engine shut down, I looked over and saw Amy, Cream, and Cheese running toward us from the house, followed by Chuck, Ella, and Tanaka. Tails opened the canopy, and I hadn't realized how stale the air inside the X-Tornado was getting. I breathed in the fresh air of Earth.

"You did it!" congratulated Amy. "We have cable and Internet back!"

"How bad was it up there?" Grandpa asked as Tails airlifted me down from my seat.

"Oh, nothing we couldn't handle," Sonic shrugged. Just a couple missiles and a rogue Dyson is all."

"You really are our Supersonic Samurai," complimented Tanaka.

"Actually, it was all them," Sonic said, gesturing to me and Tails. "If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have smashed Eggy's toy before it reached the International Space Station." He shivered slightly from his ordeal in space.

To me, he said, "Looking back, I'm glad we brought you along. The whole time we were up there, I was wondering if it was really a good idea. But no, you were way past cool!"

"I couldn't have reached behind the seat to get the cables, Chris," Tails added. "If it weren't for you, Eggman would have won."

I beamed, glad that I was helpful in the long run. Now that I knew what the big picture was, I knew that my friends were right.

"What was it like up in space, Chris?" Grandpa asked for everyone.

"It was really beautiful," I recalled all the scenery from my adventure. "There's too much to say."

Grandpa nodded. "I can imagine. Space is not for the faint of heart."

"So Tails," began Sonic at the same time, "now that you've finished the X-Tornado, do you think you're gonna use the Tornado 2 anytime soon?"

"I've thought about that," the fox answered, throwing a glance at his other plane. "I think I might use it as a backup in case something happens to the X-Tornado, but I really like the performance of the X-Tornado. It does have a couple kinks in the controls I'd like to iron out in the next few days." He turned back to the X-Tornado. "This was probably my fastest and best-performing project built on short notice." Sonic nodded his agreement.

"It really paid off," he said. "Think you'll get any sleep after all that excitement?"

Tails yawned, the events of that morning in space catching up to him. "Probably not," he said, "but I'll try."

"We've struck a major blow against Doctor Robotnik today," Grandpa announced. "Now that one of his largest robots has been destroyed, I think we may have a slightly easier time against him."

"I wouldn't say that," responded Sonic. "A lot of the time, Eggman's had some nasty last-minute tricks up his sleeve. No fight against him is too easy... well, unless you're me," he smirked.

"Does anyone want some homemade ice cream Cream and I made?" Amy piped up.

"Thanks to Miss Ella, we made it all by ourselves!" Cream added.

"Chao chao!" interjected Cheese from Cream's arms.

"Yes, Cheese, you helped too," Amy smiled at her Chao friend.

"I guess the nap can wait for now," decided Tails as we all headed toward the house. "I hope you made my favorite!"

"We sure did!" promised Amy. She knew Tails couldn't resist mint, especially mint chocolate chip ice cream.

"Cool," interjected Sonic. "Pun intended, of course."

All in all, I would say this was one of my favorite adventures with my friends so far. Sure, I flew in a jet plane that hasn't been tested before. Sure, I went to SPACE of all places. Sure, I was shot at and almost vacuumed by a robot bigger than the national debt. But I think the thing that made this adventure different and less scary than the others was that I did not meet Eggman at any time, and my friends were with me the whole time. Also, I got to help them, something I wasn't able to do on my other adventures! But I think the biggest reason this was my favorite adventure was the knowledge that Sonic would protect me at all times. That really helped. And now I couldn't wait for my next exciting adventure with Sonic the Hedgehog.

* * *

 **A/N:** And that's Satellite Swindle! Pretty lackluster, and mostly filler, except for the fact that this episode/chapter introduced the X-Tornado, which is a crucial element in Sonic X.

Also, Chris relating the story of taking off from Pittsburgh is a reference to a real experience I had. In my case, it was Atlanta and not Pittsburgh (I've never been to Pittsburgh). It was 2013, and I was returning to Anchorage, Alaska from visiting my now-late grandfather in Sarasota, Florida. There was a storm, and I believed that the pilot must have been ex-Air Force, as he took off straight up into the air through the storm. There was a little turbulence, but nothing much.

Anyway, some of the main points I changed:

 _-The Area 99 guys don't scream "Call the President!", as he doesn't appear until "Fly Spy".  
-Amy doesn't throw Tails at the TV over a pie.  
-Everyone reacts to the TV's static more logically.  
-If swallowing satellites affects cable, why wouldn't it affect Internet?  
-Everyone reacts to Bokkun more logically.  
-Exophere. EXOSPHERE. Not stratosphere. Satellites do not orbit the earth at only ten miles high. Also, Tails knows what a stratosphere is.  
-The number of Eggman scenes are drastically reduced.  
-I went from a simple "Want some help?" to a whole new scene in two seconds.  
-X-Tornado. Not Tornado X.  
-Sonic shows concern for Chris going to space. As well he should. This is SPACE.  
-The takeoff procedure is accurately shown. (What even is X Hyper Speed Mode?)  
-There's more information on E-90 Super Sweeper.  
-In the episode, it was never revealed if they ever got their cable back. Well, I fixed that._

As always, thank you for reading Chaos on Earth! If you have any ideas you'd like to shoot my way, or have constructive criticism, such as someone's OOC or a Mary Sue, or there's another inconsistency of some kind, don't hesitate to let me know!

Next up is "The Last Resort", in which everyone's favorite pink hedgehog resorts to violence over a broken bracelet... or otherwise, depending on how I rewrite this filler episode. Seriously, there are a number of fillers I've counted.

Until next time, everybody, enjoy your summer and Independence Day, make sure Team Sonic Racing sells faster than Crash Team Racing and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, keep those Sonic movie fan redesigns coming, and Sonic Sez do the Mario despite the fact that they're competing in the Olympics once more!


	9. My Sweet Passion

**A/N:** ...Fillers are the worst.

Anyway, sorry this took so long for being such a relatively short chapter. **1:** I got sick for a week. **2:** One scene gave me writer's block; specifically, the one where Sonic returns home to learn about Eggman. **3:** I couldn't find enough extra or filler material to make this a longer chapter.

Now that my brother is (finally!) watching more episodes of Sonic X, he told me that I didn't have to adapt every filler episode, and I've decided to take his advice. With that said, here are the episodes I will be omitting from this rewrite:

 **That's What Friends Are For** \- Only the Helen scene can be salvaged. I can't have the government try to catch sonic just because of a party. I can't salvage that.  
 **The Dam Scam** \- I know, this is supposed to be character development for Tails, but there's no particular reason why they're out in the savannah. Besides, isn't the Egg Fort supposed to be under the ocean?  
 **Revenge of the Robot** \- I can't say much about this, but since this is pretty much a filler episode, with the exception of Gamma, I've figured out a way to splice the ending of this episode with the ending of "Heads Up, Tails!" and the beginning of "Flood Fight". Use your imagination to figure out what I did until I get those chapters out.  
 **A Date to Forget** \- This is filler, definitely. Bokkun is seen getting thrown in jail, but he's completely free in the next episode. Also, Amy has greatly matured in comparison to this episode. Otherwise, it would be fun to see her and Sam together.  
 **Mission: Match Up** \- This story will basically be replaced by an all-new, original story.

I'm still debating on **Fast Friends** and **The Planet of Misfortune.**

Also, this note to **Kurama The Platinum Zoroark** : I watched Sonic F, and I LOVED it. I think my two favorite iterations are Mr. Stewart and Ella. In Sonic X, Ella is voiced by a man, so they made it no secret that she's voiced by a man here too. Not only that, but her voice is _gruff_. Also, Mr. Stewart is the epitome of the Chris haters, even in public. He's got those lines such as "Run along, red-shirted boy... while you still can..." Also, am I the only one who thinks Chuck sounds like DBZ Frieza? I'd say the only drawback for Sonic F is that it only updates once or twice a year.

Anyway, on to the chapter. I know exactly how Chris felt at the beginning of this chapter, as about this time two months ago, I was called in for jury duty. I never had to serve, though, and my number was not recalled (apparently they can do that in my state).

Be prepared for a few surprises this episode, especially you, SonAmy shippers. Also, I'm going to rename the Octoron and Quizons the Nautilus and Termites, respectively. And this chapter is named "My Sweet Passion" after the song. I think it's fitting. :)

If the reviews are too long for you, just scroll down until you don't see any more bold. With that being said, let's get on to the reviews and what matters most: the story!

* * *

 _ **gwencarson126**_

 _love this version, first chapter and I am already hooked_  
 _better than the tv series_  
 _better personality for chris, he always seemed spoiled to me_  
 _AWESOME_  
 _will metal sonic appear?_  
 _will we have more time with dark sonic ( in the show he had literally 2 minutes of fame with no further explanation or appearance)  
new sonic x fav_

 **Thanks for the positive feedback! Chris is one of the biggest changes I have had to make. It's good to know he's much better than his TV appearance.**

 **Metal Sonic? I'm considering it, but not in the near future. Dark Sonic? Are you kidding? He's awesome! Yes, he's definitely going to appear, and not just that one time!**

 _ **Animation Adventures**_

 _Great adaption._

 _I liked the expansion you did of a lot of scenes that you kept. Especially how Internet would also be affected by the satellite removal. The exploration of Super Sweeper's internal workings was neat. We don't usually explore the inside of Eggman's robots._

 _I'm surprised that Eggman put Chris high on his enemy list. If Chris interfered with more of his plans, that I'd understand. But all that after ONE time Chris kept the emerald from Eggman, guy can apparently hold a grudge._

 _I did think it was strange in the original that Tails didn't know what a stratosphere was. Until now, I honestly didn't know about the exosphere._

 _I know Tails is a talented engineer, but even I'm having trouble believing he could do all that in one night. Even Eggman lampshades how unrealistic that is._

 _Also, the concern for Chris going into space was good to include. Looking back, nobody batted an eye at the idea in the original. I'm surprised that Chuck didn't join Ella's stance on that subject. I was fully expecting Amy or Cream to take his place in the mission._

 _Good job with this one. Speaking of Team Sonic Racing at the end there, maybe you could adapt it for a season four saga after the Metarex saga? There's an idea. Until next time!_

 **Thanks! I had thought about what would happen if Sonic and Tails _were_ actually sucked inside the Super Sweeper, and how they would escape. Good to know it worked out as planned.**

 **In the words of another fanfiction favorite of mine, "If anyone crosses paths with Eggman, he goes after them." Pretty much the case here, and yes, he can hold quite a grudge, but let's hope it won't last too much longer, especially with a Chaos Emerald appearing in the next episode.**

 **Trophosphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere... The stratosphere is only ten miles up. You won't find any satellites up there. And how on Mobius did tails, with all his scientific knowledge, not even know what a stratosphere was? Even worse, he didn't know what a dam was in "The Dam Scam".**

 **I know, that's hard to believe too, but he was extremely motivated, not to mention he already had blueprints ready. Normally he doesn't build that fast.**

 **I can see Amy over Cream going into space to fight the Super Sweeper, but had I included her instead, the episode might not have been as special, and Chris would once again seem like a useless side character. I may alter this scene later, especially since Chris is aboard the Space Colony ARK in the Shadow Saga.**

 **As for Team Sonic Racing, I'm afraid I'll have to say no on this one, as fun as it may be. This Sonic X rewrite is an AU, and TSR would have to take place on Mobius. Otherwise, it might make a great addition.**

 _ **GuardianDragon98**_

 _Awesome update! Loved the callback to all of Sonic's previous adventures, including Sonic '06 ;)_

 _LOL, "The Last Resort" :D I hope we get to see Sonic freaking out over going to the beach. It's gonna be hilarious._

 **I love making callbacks. If SEGA doesn't really reference previous adventures, leave it to the fans to do that.**

 **I LOL'd at the thought of Sonic freaking out about going to the beach. He'll probably be fine as long as he doesn't go into the water. It's his appearances in "Depths of Danger" and "Cruise Blues" I'm concerned about. :)**

 _ **The Green Seer**_

 _Hello! Fair warning, this is going to be long. I'm writing this as I go over the chapter for the first time. Not how I usually do it but I got a lot of things to say and I don't wanna forget them._

 _1\. I like how you modified the last part of the previous chapter. The meet and greet flowed much better. Mat didn't have much spotlight but that's okay considering he's a new character._

 _2\. Something that I have notice, from a writing point of view, last chapter and this one, is that it was repeating that Matt was sad sometimes. And I want to stress the word 'sad' because reading it the fourth time near Matt's name was becoming annoying. I use Word to write, and this program saved me by having a synonym option._

 _"I will," Matt replied, though it sounded reluctant._

 _Short and to the point. I learned a lot of new words with that feature and I constantly use it to correct myself or search for words that flow better in the sentence or context. Also, Matt was so much better here and there's definitely something up with him. Hmm…earthquake, huh?_

 _3\. I used to do that too. Insert my voice in the middle of the narration. (I think I remember you doing this before but I let it slide) In my first few stories I was doing it a lot, which is part of the reason why I am very hesitant to go back and reread them because I will throw up. I understand this is fanfiction, there are no consequences here. But professional writers don't do that. You could leave an index number and have your input down at the end of the chapter, like in books._

 _You could also do it like I learned to do it. Make it subtle and part of the narration. I like to joke, so my writing has a sarcastic flavor to it. Sometimes I poke fun at the characters or the situation but I try to integrate it in the POV I'm writing in. You actually did it too about Barney the Dinosaur:_

 _(He still didn't get why that show has so many haters)_

 _That was a comment that was rather irrelevant, funny and it came from deep within Chris's character. (With a correction that it should be 'had' in the second part because you only use past tenses.)_

 _4\. Minor grammar mistake when the TV died: "We had did nothing…" 'Had' had no place there. There may have been more errors but I'll include them here when I remember. When Sonic found the cockpit of the Sweeper: "…it only took me a minute and change to make it back to Tails." I'm not sure if you forgot to erase 'and change' but it confused me for a second._

 _5\. References. References everywhere! I love that you keep bringing up stuff from other games or series. It gives me more things to add to the timeline. I'll mentally add the OVA now._

 _6\. SPACE! My explanation for why mobians can survive in space was like this: first of all, Mobius has a much wider atmosphere than Earth due to the amount of floating islands and lands. So they can go pretty far out without actually leaving their planet. This was for explaining some games things, like how Sonic was able to fight on Eggman's fleet back in Unleashed; second of all, chaos energy. In my mind, I assumed that all mobians naturally have chaos energy flowing through them, except the fact that it is too little for it to be noticed (except people like Sonic and co.), so the chaos itself is protecting them from the vacuum of space. It is just something that is unique to their species, that they are more susceptible to chaos and for those strong enough, capable of manipulating it at will._

 _Overall, I would say this was the best chapter so far. I loved it! From the logic of the scene order, to the casual interactions between the characters, it was very pleasant to read even if I had to take numerous breaks because of random reasons. This chapter had the best dialogue, I'd say. Everything felt natural and there was no (maybe a little) awkwardness in lines or somebody going on and then becoming awkward. I liked the competence of the humans. It wasn't very interesting but I appreciate you giving us the other perspective. Also I really admire your dedication with this story. I know it must be hard to write around 20k words per chapter but it will definitely help refine your writing and your patience._

 _Great job! Don't lose your inspiration, and until next time!_

 **Hey, Green Seer! I love a good long review, so hopefully this reply will be equally as long! :)**

 **Yeah, sorry about Matt. He's hot off the griddle, and won't appear for a little while, but I'm already planning on some decent character development for him in the future. Just a warning: It's not recommended to cope the way he does... Anyway, expect to see him next in "Emerald Anniversary".**

 **I knew I had to modify the last part of "Party Hardly". It made me cringe when I reread it, so I had to change it. I'm glad it looks much better.**

 **I'm using Google Docs in addition to the FFN docs to write, and I'm catching more spelling errors. So basically, I should use more creative words (reluctant it a good one), as well as not using the same word types over and over, as I often do. I can go back and revise sad Matt so that sad is changed in a few of the instances (sorry to bug you there again :P ) Also, hopefully the inside jokes are more subtle. As for fourth walls, I want to limit them to Sonic, Amy, Eggman, and the Chaotix, as per the original anime.**

 **I love a good reference. In fact, you might be able to find another one in this chapter. Also, I'm considering writing a story called "Sonic the Hedgehog: Genesis of a Hero", blending the "Classic Sonic" games, SatAM, OVA, and Underground. This may be interesting, considering I'm a Modern Sonic fanboy.**

 **I really like your explanation on how Mobians can breathe in space. It's really quite unique. However, I don't think this explains how they can breathe in deep space, or in the Galaxy Corridor in "Clash in the Cloister." Otherwise, it could actually be plausible.**

 **My aim is to write at least 15k word per chapter, including A/Ns and review replies, but I know this one will fall short of the mark because I couldn't extend some scenes enough. But that's okay; I know this will still be a pleasant read that was worth the wait.**

 _ **Alexandria Prime**_

 _Who-hoah! This was an awesome chapter! Really glad to see all those extra scenes! And Eggman- leave Chris alone!_

 _Is Sonic ever going to say anything about his time during the Phantom War?_

 **Thank you! And yes, Eggman really shouldn't obsess himself with Chris over a Chaos Emerald. But he has a new enemy directly allied with Sonic, and that's enough for him.**

 **Sonic has been quiet about the Phantom War. I don't think he's ready to say anything yet. After all, it was quite a traumatic event for him.**

 _ **A**_

 _Good chapter. Not a fan of the repetitive mentions of how many satellites were swallowed up or how many hours of sleep Tails had during the project... or all the real world things you're referencing. I think referencing other material outside of a crossover seems strange, but that might just be me._

 **I can fix the things you mentioned, especially the satellites and the hours... but the real world things? This is the real world, after all.**

 _ **D.J. Scales**_

 _Well done on this chapter. I can see use for another filler chapter._

 **Thanks! I too can find use for them, especially if they could contribute to the plot, such as "Fast Friends".**

 **Also, if anyone else is reading this, check out D.J. Scales' story that I'm betareading, "Sonic the Hedgehog: Dimensions in Danger"! It's a multi-crossover with franchises such as Skylanders.**

 _ **SharpDragonKlaw**_

 _Poor Chris the fact that it only took foiling Eggman's plans ONCE to make it on his hit list must be terrifying for the poor boy. But the fact that Chris had actually helped by coming up with the idea to add more seats was a nice touch._

 **I wouldn't worry about Chris; he's in the safest hands possible. And that scene with Tails and Chris... when I saw it, I KNEW i had to extend it. I've seen people talking about who there weren't any scenes of Chris directly helping out Tails, and so I added this scene.**

 _ **Franco Almiron**_

 _Dude i really like how you write your stories, you know i was wondering if you ever read any of the stories made by ZachaRicO, i really like his Sonic-Pokemon crossovers, and i would like to see one based on Sun and Moon, only if you are interested of course._

 **Thanks!**

 **No, sorry, I'm not into Pokemon, nor have I heard of ZachaRicO, but I wouldn't doubt that one such crossover will come to light soon.**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: Thorndyke Resort and Spa is a trademark of Thorndyke Industries, and must not be nuked by mad scientists for any legitimate reason. If infringed, call the Sonic hotline immediately._

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

Today was it. The day that the Thorndyke Resort and Spa opened. And oh boy, I didn't want to go so badly...

I had just finished changing into one of my suits. A tan suit with a salmon-colored shirt actually looked good on me, according to my family and guardians. It was one of my favorite suits.

I ran out the side door in the living room and headed toward the garage, where I knew my grandfather and friends would be. Of course, Sonic wasn't here; I had seen him take off for one of his morning runs about a few minutes ago. Today he told me he would be out in Wisconsin somewhere, which was a good two thousand miles away. By this point I wasn't worried about other people seeing him; he was too fast for the naked eye.

I had known about the resort's opening for three weeks, and since then I had been trying to mentally prepare myself for this day. I felt nervous, to say the least. I had been to big events and ceremonies before, but never without my mom or dad present.

Upon reaching the garage, I saw Tails in the pilot's seat of the X-Tornado, looking at some of his monitors and readouts. I remember being surprised to find that the X-Tornado was able to fit in the three-car garage with room to spare.

On the other hand, Amy, Cream, Cheese, and Grandpa were packing various beach toys and supplies into the back seat, which included swim fins, goggles, inner tubes, pool noodles, buckets, shovels, and a beach ball. I had known since yesterday that my friends planned to visit the beach near the resort.

Ever since Ella told my friends about the resort, the girls had been very excited about it, especially Amy when she learned that Thorndyke Resort and Spa would have fancy restaurants, luscious beaches, and various other amenities that would place it on par with whatever Sandals had to offer. However, the whole Mobian secrecy thing was the only drawback.

"I still wish I could go," Amy wistfully admitted.

"Well, you know how how things are, Amy," Grandpa replied. "You and your friends haven't been properly introduced to the world, nor are they ready for you yet. But don't worry; there will be other opportunities."

Amy sighed. "I hope so," she said. "It's boring not being able to enjoy life like everyone else."

Grandpa nodded. "You'll get your chance," he assured. "I know it."

"Hey Tails!" I called.

"Yeah?" he replied from the cockpit.

"Did you finish tuning the X-Tornado yet?"

Tails nodded. "I sure did! The engines are now running at maximum efficiency, and I've updated the GPS program as well. Right now, I'm setting the safest possible course for the beach." The resort was located in the northwest side of Station Square, which meant that Tails wouldn't have to fly far.

"That kinda reminds me," he continued. "I've heard some crazy stories about your world's GPSes actually getting people lost instead of taking them where they're supposed to go." He chuckled. Those stories were all too true.

Now that the time to leave was drawing closer, I felt what could have been a swam of butterflies in my stomach... except those were for excitement. In all reality, I was nervous. It felt like there was a huge burden on my shoulders. Chuck noticed my anxiety and walked over.

"You doing okay?" he asked.

I sighed. "I wish Mom didn't have to be called away from the ceremony," I said for what must have been the fiftieth time that week.

"I know," Grandpa sympathized, "but like I said, she had a last-minute change of plans concerning _Valencia_ , which cut into her time to host the ceremony. This is why she asked you to go in her place."

Furthermore, Mom was to give a speech at the resort's opening about how it was designed with the snow birds in mind, as well as other facets of the resort, but since Grandpa knew I probably shouldn't give a twenty-minute speech in front of adults like that, he was thoughtful enough to arrange for Mr. Tanaka to do it instead. I remember bring stressed out at the possibility of giving a speech if I was going in Mom's stead, but Mr. Tanaka assured me that he would do it. That listed a huge burden off my shoulders.

"Yeah, I know," I said. "I guess I just don't want to be bored is all."

Amy turned from her work to face me. "Chris, I know you're feeling stressed about the ceremony right now, but just know that it's only going to be a few hours," she encouraged.

Tails nodded his agreement. "Yeah, then you can always come to the beach afterward to join us."

"I guess," I nodded as Amy returned to her work. Deep down, I knew they were right.

To Grandpa, I quietly asked, "Are you worried about them being seen?"

Grandpa looked at the X-Tornado, and how full the back seat was becoming.

"Not really," he admitted. "They've been seen by a lot of people a few times already. But still," he continued, now directing his attention to said Mobians, "you should all be careful out there. Just because you _have_ been seen by almost everyone doesn't mean you should _try_ to be seen. I trust you've mapped a discreet route, Tails?"

"I sure have," he replied. "It'll take us out over the water a bit. Trying to land from the shore may be too conspicuous."

"Good idea," Grandpa nodded.

Having finished loading the back seat of the X-Tornado, Amy and Cream climbed into the second and third seats respectively.

"Do you guys think Sonic will show up later?" I asked.

"I doubt it," Tails shrugged. "Sonic doesn't really like being near the water. That includes the beach."

Just then we heard a car horn coming from the end of the driveway. I turned to see Ella and Tanaka waiting in the car. It was time to face my destiny.

"Christopher!" Ella called. "You need to hurry or we're going to be late for the ceremony!"

"Coming!" I called before turning back to my friends. "Please don't let anyone see you," I beseeched them.

"I can't guarantee that, but it shouldn't be a problem," Tails answered.

"Good luck at the party, Chris! And don't worry; it'll be over before you know it," Amy added with a smile.

"I hope so," I responded, more to myself than aloud.

"Have fun, Mr. Chris!" Cream called after me as I started toward the car. I had to smile. Cream was so cute, even though I knew I wasn't going to the resort strictly for the sake of fun.

"You too," I replied. "Bye!"

"Bye, Chris!" called my friends as the canopy closed over the X-Tornado. Good thing it did, as there was a lot of stuff in the back seat.

I left the garage. The car drew closer and closer, as did my destiny. Would I succeed? Or would I die of boredom? Well, not technically, but I assumed I would be spending a lot of the time with Ella and Mr. Tanaka as they chatted with the guests.

Mr. Tanaka held the back door of the car open for me, and I thanked him as I stepped in. He headed back to the driver's side of the car as I buckled in. Soon we were off for the resort and the ceremony.

The first few minutes after we drove away were silent. I don't want to say that my heart was beating fast, but imagine a caffeinated jackhammer and you'd be getting close.

It's not that I was terrified. I wasn't; I was only nervous. Fear of the unknown was natural. In fact, when my dad was twenty-one, he was picked for jury duty. Of course he didn't want to go; he was nervous too, but he was not selected for the jury, much to his relief. By that example, maybe things wouldn't be as bad as I was making them out to be...

Ella broke the silence. "You'll have plenty of time to play with your friends later, I promise," she said.

Tanaka nodded. "This is one of your duties as a Thorndyke. It is upon you to represent your family during this ceremony."

"I know," I sighed. It was a weight I didn't think I could carry alone.

"I know you'll represent your family well, Chris," Ella encouraged.

I took a deep breath just as I heard the sound of an engine. Looking out the car window, I could see the X-Tornado ascending into the sky above us. Naturally, it sounded different outside. It was like one of those fighter jet from the military base, but somewhat quieter. I didn't know how Tails was able to accomplish that. It was still pretty loud up close, though.

I let out my breath. How I wished I could go with them to the beach instead of a boring ceremony...

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Now that the private beach near the Thorndykes' new resort was within sight, Tails slowed the X-Tornado down and pressed a few buttons on the console, hoping what would happen next would work out like he planned.

"Okay, get ready, girls. We're changing form," he announced.

There was a jolt as various parts of the X-Tornado began moving at once. Both of the cockpits became detached and elevated off of the rest of the plane. At the same time, the booster engines pivoted downward to act as legs, and the lower wings folded inward. Amy and Cream were left speechless at what was happening. The X-Tornado descended and made a smooth touchdown on the sand, and Tails breathed a sigh of relief. His transformation was a success.

"We changed form?" inquired Amy, and Tails nodded. "You never told us the X-Tornado could do that."

"Surprise," the fox meekly smiled. "I programmed it with this feature so we could land in places where it would be impossible to land otherwise." As an afterthought, he added, "Maybe we can keep this a secret from Chris for now."

Amy was confused. "Why?" she asked.

"I thought it might be more fun for him if he gets to find out about it himself," Tails answered.

Amy smirked. "Okay," she agreed as Tails pressed the button to lift the canopies.

The three Mobians spent the next few minutes disembarking and removing their supplies from the back seat. It was a good thing the Thorndykes owned this part of the beach; it included a small resort house with a large deck.

"I hope it wasn't too tight for you two back there," Amy said to Cream and Cheese as they flew down from their seat.

Cream shook her head. "It wasn't. I was trying to tell you something, but I don't think you could hear me." Tails' eyes widened in realization.

"Oh no!" he exclaimed. "I forgot to build a function that allows the two compartments to communicate to each other! That's gonna be the first thing I do when we get back."

"It's okay, Tails," Amy reassured the fox. "You were pressed for time when you built the X-Tornado. Now that there's no rush, you can take all the time you need to improve it."

"You're right," agreed Tails.

As they unpacked the last of their gear, Amy turned to Cream. "So what was it you wanted to say to me?" she asked.

"Have you thought about what would happen if Dr. Eggman shows up?" Cream recited.

Amy frowned. "Yes, I have, and that's always a possibility. But for now, I wouldn't worry about it." Just like that, the smile was back on her face. "After all, we're here to have fun, right?"

"That's right!" Cream chimed in. "And once Mr. Chris is finished at the ceremony, he can come join us, and we can have even more fun!"

"You got it!" Amy beamed as they ran toward the beach.

* * *

 **TIME SKIP.**

The next hour went by like the sea breeze for Tails, Amy, and Cream as they enjoyed their time at the beach. Some of the activities they were involved in included swimming, gathering seashells, and playing in the water. Even though Tails and Amy were core members of the Resistance during the sixteen-month course of the Phantom War, they appreciated being able to have down time. In fact, after the majority of the cleanup, it was almost as if they never lost their innocence and youth, even with the harrowing memories of the war.

After the three (four, counting Cheese) stopped for a lemonade break, Amy decided to explore the beach. She let her mind wander as she walked along the coast.

Would Sonic show up today? Although he disliked water, and was naturally inclined to stay away from the beach, Amy thought he should still drop by. Perhaps they could enjoy the day together.

Even Amy was surprised at how much she had matured since the war, even since the Dark Gaia saga. Even though she wasn't throwing herself at Sonic nearly as mush as she did in the past, she still loved him very much, and knew deep down that Sonic loved her in return. He had come to her rescue time and again. The first of many rescues involved her capture at the hands of the original Metal Sonic. He had also boarded the Egg Carrier with Tails to get her off the ship, even though she technically rescued herself. Amy had even gotten the chance to return the favor - Prison Island came to mind.

Just then Amy caught pieces of a conversation nearby, and debated hiding. She almost second-guessed herself - Mobian presence was already known on this planet, so why hide? But then she realized that the conversation was on the other side of a rock separating the Thorndykes' private beach from one of the public beaches.

Even though she couldn't hear the conversation very well given the distance, she caught the words "lucky charm". This piqued Amy's interest. She used to use tarot cards up until the time she met Sonic. After their first adventure, she put them away for good - she wouldn't need them anymore, as she believed she had found her true love. But lucky charms on this planet? She wasn't one to eavesdrop, but she just _had_ to know more.

Carefully peeking over the rock, Amy could get a good look at the people talking. They were a young couple, maybe in their lower 20's, not much older than Matt. They had their backs to her, and the man was fingering a small bracelet the woman had just given him. It was made of seashells and twine.

"That's right, a lucky charm," the woman was explaining. "Rumor has it it will make you a better swimmer."

"Really?" the man questioned.

The woman nodded. "It may not seem like much, but I made it especially for you, Chad."

Chad slipped the bracelet onto his right wrist. "Thank you, Wendy," he said. "I'll always think of you when I see this."

Amy took in this romantic moment, even though it didn't last long enough for her. She loved romance. In fact, witnessing the couple with their bracelet of seashells gave her an idea. What if she were to make own lucky charm out of seashells and present it to Sonic as a gift?

She made up her mind right then and there. _One lucky charm coming right up,_ she thought. _Then maybe Sonic won't be afraid of the water as much any more!_

* * *

 **TIME SKIP.**

It didn't take Amy very long to scour the shore for eight seashells and some string. Good thing for her Tails, Cream, and Cheese were too busy building a sand castle to notice - things might get a little awkward if they found out too soon.

In fact, they didn't seem to even notice her heading back to the beach house's patio. She had to admit, the sand castle her friends were making looked better than most.

Sitting down in one of the reclining beach chairs, Amy got to work with her project. All she had to do was thread the string through the shells, right? No, it took her several tries to even thread one of the shells through. Cream was much better at this kind of thing than she was; Amy had once tried making flower crowns, but they never turned out to be nearly as good as Cream's, even though she complimented her for her efforts.

But Amy knew she couldn't ask Cream for help. She wanted to make this all by herself; it was _her_ gift.

It took her ten minutes, but she had finally finished. As she holding up to the sunlight to admire her work, she noticed Cream heading onto the patio to get more lemonade.

"There you are," Cream said, seeing Amy on the beach chair. She inched closer upon seeing the bracelet.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Amy slowly tried to hide the bracelet on the other side of her, so Cream couldn't see it. "Oh, just relaxing, you know, catching some rays..."

"But that bracelet," Cream insisted, motioning to the bracelet that Amy was now reluctantly uncovering. "I know you made that for Mr. Sonic. Is that right?"

"Well... yeah..." Amy relented.

"It's very pretty, Miss Amy," complimented Cream Amy was about to reply when three loud booms sounded in the air, rocking the resort in the distance. Amy and Cream could see the smoke rising into the air. Tails and Cheese also heard the explosions and immediately leaped to their feet.

"Oh no," Amy realized. "Chris is in danger..."

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

I wouldn't doubt that there are soap operas more exciting than this ceremony.

Actually, that seems to be an overstatement. I had only been here for about an hour, but I was still bored nonetheless, as all I was really doing was shaking hands with the newcomers alongside Ella and Mr. Tanaka. Of course, they were informed in advance that I was Mom's substitute, so there wasn't anyone wondering why a kid was doing an adult's work. Some of the gentlemen had strong handshakes, and I wondered if my hand bones could take much more of that.

At last, there was a much-needed lull in the flow of newcomers. Turning to my guardians, I asked, "When does the speech begin?"

"In half an hour," Ella replied. "Then the picnic will begin." Good. There would be food to look forward to.

As more guests started approaching, Tanaka leaned toward me. "Remember that you are representing your family on this trip, so try to look interested. Rest assured that the speech will be over before you know it."

I nodded. To be honest, this wasn't the mountain was making this molehill out to be. All I had to do was shake hands with people for half an hour, sit through a speech, and then go eat. Right?

Well, let's just say the grown-ups are right when they saw time seems to crawl as a kid...

A grueling fifteen minutes later, the resort grounds were more packed then ever, and the seats were filling up fast. By my estimate, there must have been well over a thousand people; most of them being senior citizens.

That was a thousand people who suddenly found themselves in harm's way as a smoke bomb suddenly exploded about a hundred feet away, causing people to flee and choke on the smoke. A second smoke bomb burst closer to us, while a third hit not much further away.

Soon the whole area was filled with thick white smoke. The bombs had burst close enough to cause my ears to ring.

"What's going on?" I asked in a slight panic.

"I don't know," Ella responded. I had a feeling I knew who was behind this...

Security guards were on the scene in a moment. "Everyone remain calm," they ordered. "The police have been informed about this and are on their way. Everyone, please evacuate single-file to the exit nearest you."

But there was no tine for anyone to leave immediately. Just then I noticed maybe two hundred small robots emerging from the ocean, confirming my fears. Eggman was attacking, and I was defenseless.

The robots Eggman had deployed were armed with various tools of destruction, including small mallets, chisels, and claws. The robots hovered about twenty feet in the air, escorting this huge robot that slowly surfaced from the water. It resembled an octopus with giant, highly-flexible black rubber tentacles.

Accompanying them was the doctor himself hovering in his Eggmobile, so I had learned what its name was.

"Best. Entrance. Ever," he quipped, followed by one of his ugly laughs. "Make way for the Eggman Empire!"

With that exclamation, the octopus robot punctured a boat with one of its long tentacles, leaving a gaping hole in it, before completely smashing it with two others. It exploded, but fortunately, there wasn't that much far-flying debris to worry about.

With that distraction, the smaller robots began to float inland above us. The security guards pulled out their pistols and shot at the robots. Many bullets missed, but those that did make their mark proved that it wasn't really worth the effort. In fact, the robots didn't even look remotely fazed.

As all of this was happening, we didn't just stand there idle, even though I was oddly fascinated at the sight in spite of my fear.

"We're leaving now," urged Tanaka. He grabbed both my hand and Ella's and took off running toward the parking lot, which was nearly full and quickly being filled up by frantic people.

"E-39 Termites!" Eggman ordered the tiny robots filling the skies. "Destroy those buildings! I declare this area the foundation of the Eggman Empire, and no human structure must stand on my grounds! Real estate is a real hindrance!"

Doctor Eggman truly was unlike any other enemy I had ever seen. He was so pompous, so... wordy. In fact, he almost seemed too fake to prove himself a real threat.

Regardless, his command got through to his robots. The Termites, as he called them, immediately flew over to the resort buildings. I found myself looking back as they activated their tools and got to work destroying the resort building.

To think that Mom put so much time and money into opening this resort. So much time into planning this ceremony. And now it was all being wiped away in a matter of mere seconds.

Eggman was heartless.

"Don't look back!" Tanaka instructed. "Just run!"

Fortunately, I later learned on the news that the buildings were evacuated. Only six people were injured, and there were no deaths.

The parking lot was getting closer, but in the heat of the moment, it felt so far away. I sneaked one more look back. What I saw was almost too bizarre for words.

Several other tiny robots were airlifting a giant gold statue of Doctor Eggman himself. It had to be a good thirty feet tall. It was placed down in the middle of the gathering area where Mr. Tanaka was supposed to have his speech. Eggman laughed once the statue was positioned.

"What better place to build Eggmanland than here!" he crowed as his octopus robot began to move ashore. I desperately began hoping that Tails and Amy would be able to come quickly, as I knew that the chances of Sonic showing up this early were downright unrealistic.

Tanaka pointed to our car ahead. "If we can make it to the car, that would be great," he said with as much optimism as he could muster given the crisis at hand.

Good thing I had brought my phone with me. I pulled it out and navigated the menus to dial Grandpa. Already I could feel my lungs burning from how long we were running. Apparently the parking lot was further away than I thought.

"Chris, is that you?" Grandpa asked, surprised that I would be calling now.

"Yes!" I frantically told him. "Eggman's here! He's destroying the resort!" I threw a look back, and almost wished I hadn't. "And I think he's coming toward us right now-"

Suddenly I got an earful of feedback from my phone, and I deducted that Eggman had jammed the frequency. As my right ear rang from the sudden loud noise, I looked at my phone in dismay to see that the call was indeed disconnected.

Before we could go any further, about two dozen Crabmeat robots surrounded us on all sides, preventing our escape.

"Leaving so soon?" Eggman quipped as he moved his hovercraft a little closer. He peered over the rim of his glasses at me. "I wasn't expecting to see _you_ here, Christopher."

"Leave him alone!" Tanaka demanded. He stepped in front of me and Ella and took a defensive karate stance. I always felt safe around him, as he would risk his life to protect us from anything. He wound stand strong to his dying breath.

"What do you want from us?" asked Tanaka.

"Am I correct to assume that Sonic the Hedgehog is staying with you?" questioned Eggman. Oh no... not the grudge again...

Tanaka hesitated before speaking. "That's right," he admitted.

"I thought as much," mused Eggman before continuing. "Because you are harboring my arch enemy, you three are going to be my first hostages. Oh don't worry; I'm not holding you forever. It's only until my new roboticizer is complete. Then you three will be my first human robots!"

 _Hurry, Tails and Amy_ , I thought. _And Sonic... I hope you find out about this real soon..._

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

After spending about an hour and a half up in the Midwest, I sped back to Chris' house toting a bouquet of wild daisies. Now I knew where to get the perfect flowers. In fact, that garden in Wisconsin was where I got the flowers for Cream's flower crowns.

As the front door was locked, I entered the living room through the side door and set the flowers down on the coffee table. I thought they would make the perfect addition to the room. Now all I needed was a vase...

I marveled at how quiet the house was. There was literally no one around. Then it hit me: today was the day of the ceremony. How could I have forgotten so quickly? Additionally, all my other friends were heading to the beach for some fun. While I wasn't a fan of beaches, I figured I could pay them a visit later.

Just then I saw someone coming in through the door. Guess I must have forgotten to close it. Turning, I saw Chuck, a mixture of surprise and urgency on his face.

"Oh, you're back, Sonic," he noted. "Impeccable timing."

This got me worried for a moment. "What's up?" I asked.

"Chris just called to tell me that Eggman's attacking the ceremony. His call was cut off. I'm worried that he's been taken prisoner."

I had only been away for an hour and a half, and look what happened. I almost felt like I let him down. While I trusted Tails and Amy to help protect Chris, they would need some extra help.

"So, um, the ceremony's up in the northern part of Station Square, right?" Chuck nodded. "Hold down the fort, Chuck. I'm going to bring Chris back in one piece."

I bolted through the open door and out of the neighborhood. I hadn't been there for him today. Perhaps I even failed him. But if he had called like five minutes ago, then maybe, just maybe, he was still in the vicinity of the ceremony. And if Tanaka and Ella were with him, then they were probably captured as well. But still...

 _Why Chris?_

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

"Chris is in danger..."

As the white smoke continues to rise from the resort in the distance, determination struck Amy, and she leaped out of her seat and ran for the stairs. Cream followed shortly behind her.

When they reached the beach seconds later, they found Tails and Cheese staring at the smoke in disbelief.

"Eggman _did_ come..." a worried Cream said, even though they didn't have any evidence to prove it yet.

"Tails, X-Tornado," ordered Amy.

"O-On it!" the fox answered, now snapped from his trance. He got up and, spinning his namesakes, flew toward the X-Tornado which was parked about fifty feet away. Amy followed after him.

"You're coming?" Tails asked, noticing Amy behind her.

"Of course," the determined hedgehog said. "Chris and his family need all the help they can get."

Tails nodded. "Yes they do."

One he was close enough to his plane, he pulled a remote from Hammerspace and pressed a button, opening the front canopy of the X-Tornado. He then swooped down and lifted Amy into the second seat before settling in the pilot's seat. He panted from his exertion as he buckled in.

"Tails, did you bring your binoculars with you?" Amy asked as she too strapped in.

"Uh, yeah. It should be right here..." Tails fished said binoculars out of a glove compartment next to him and handed it to Amy. "Here you go."

Amy accepted the binoculars and used them to try to find out exactly what was going on at the resort. Or rather, the lack thereof. To her dismay, she could see that the resort's hotel was completely destroyed, and a giant Eggman statue was being erected nearby. This confirmed her fears.

"It's him," she reported.

Cream and Cheese were approaching the X-Tornado in curiosity. "Did you see anything, Miss Amy?" Cream asked.

Amy solemnly nodded. "You were right," she told her friend. "Eggman _did_ come."

Realization struck Cream. "Then... then that means..."

"We're not gonna let him anywhere near Chris, Cream," Tails said. "I promise. Now I need you and Cheese to stay here at the villa, and don't let anyone see you, okay?"

Cream nodded, and Cheese copied. "Good luck," she said.

Amy and Tails waved goodbye as the latter closed the hatch over them.

"Why is Eggman _still_ going after Chris?" Amy wondered, anger seeping into her tone. "He just a kid! Besides, a grudge like this shouldn't last this long."

Tails solemnly nodded. "There's probably more to it than we realize. If anyone is unfortunate enough to cross paths with Eggman, he can and will go after them. It's especially so in this case, since Chris is now our friend."

"That makes sense," Amy said as Tails revved the engine. "Because of his contribution to our cause, Chris has officially become an enemy of Eggman, and he wants to publicly make it known." She tapped her chin in thought. "I don't think Eggman is normally like this."

"I don't think so either," Tails agreed. "Which is why it's up to us to make sure he stays safe."

Three button presses later, the X-Tornado lifted off the ground. The legs converted back into engines, the wings rotated back into place, and the cockpits locked into the hull. Tails was grateful that the transformation back into a plane worked. As all the beach supplies had been unloaded, the jet was overall lighter. The X-Tornado took off toward the resort, and Tails hoped that they would get to Chris in time.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

Just like my heart sinking in my chest, I saw three dropships lowering toward the beach. They touched down about thirty feet from where we were, and I had a feeling that's where Eggman wanted us to go.

"Do you intend to take us to your fortress?" Tanaka asked as the Crabmeats moved around us.

"Actually, I was thinking about taking you to London to see the sights," Eggman answered sarcastically. "Of _course_ my fortress is your final destination! You three are going to be held there until my roboticizer is complete."

"Did you... Did you start building it yet?" I dared to ask.

"Well..." Eggman rubbed behind his bald head. "Not exactly. I've been busy lately- Wait, why are you changing the subject? Crabmeats! Escort the prisoners to the Capsule Carriers!"

The Crabmeats moved in unison toward the dropships. As they were encircling us, we were forced to move with them. I looked up to see tears pricking Ella's eyes.

"They didn't make it in time," I lamented. "We lost!"

"Don't lose hope, Master Chris," Tanaka tried to reassure me. "Anything can still happen."

With the dropships only mere feet away, I found that hard to believe. Then, in the very next instant, I learned that seeing is believing.

"Stand back!" came the familiar voice of Sonic the Hedgehog from atop part of the ruins of the hotel. He was standing there, hands on hips, and was clearly not pleased with what Eggman was doing.

The Crabmeats were conflicted as to whether to guard us or attack Sonic. During this time, Tanaka pulled us back from the dropships as Sonic spun toward them, spinning right through their cores and destroying them. Evidently the lack of an explosion was his intended result.

Turning to Eggman, he demanded, "What's going on here? Is this another one of your Eggmanland flops?"

"Bite your tongue, pincushion; it's anything but." He gestured around him with a broad sweep of his hand. "As you can see, I've already claimed this land in the name of the Eggman Empire. There is nothing you can do about it."

Sonic smirked, despite the emotions channeling through his veins. "It's just a statue," he said. "It doesn't mean a thing."

"Shortsighted as always..." muttered Eggman. "Anyway, it may not seem like it, but I have been expecting you. E-38 Nautilus! Dispose of Sonic!"

I assumed the Nautilus was the octopus robot that was responsible for destroying boats and injuring a few people, but I wouldn't look at the carnage it caused. Said robot quickly located Sonic and immediately lashed out with two of its flexible black tentacles, but Sonic was able to quickly dodge.

As the Nautilus was recoiling from its attack, Sonic then sped toward the robot, fully bent on shredding its tentacles off. However, he was grabbed by a third tentacle he didn't see. He was grabbed so suddenly that the wind was choked out of him as it wrapped around his body, pinning his arms to his sides.

"Pacific Ocean, meet Sonic the Hedgehog!" Eggman cackled as the Nautilus dunked Sonic into the water. I gasped. Even for Sonic's enemy, how could Eggman be so heartless as to exploit his worst nightmare like this? Sonic didn't deserve any of this, and now...

"Let him go!" I screamed.

Eggman turned in my direction, somewhat amused.

"Trying to humor me?" he said, holding back a snicker.

I was having none of it. "You're going to kill him!" I continued.

"Relax," Eggman said. "I don't 'kill' anyone, as you so gruesomely put it. I'm only exhausting him so he can't fight me while I set up Eggmanland. Besides, I'm sure that you've read enough superhero stories to know that anyone like me give up on my mortal enemy. That blue pest you've befriended has been a thorn in my side for the last... oh, twenty-five years or so. Time and again he has ruined my plans for world domination! And all I ever wanted to do was build a theme park for myself..."

"Then why all the needless destruction?" Ella asked.

"Because it's fun!" Eggman shamelessly admitted. "Besides, you know I can't have anyone build it for me unless they are metallic slaves that follow my every order." Turning to the Nautilus, he ordered, "I think he's had enough for now. Lift him out."

At last, an agonizing thirty seconds after Sonic went under, the Nautilus finally lifted him out of the water. Sonic seemed to lose his sense of cockiness I had grown used to. In fact, he looked traumatized. I had no idea his fear of water was this bad.

" _Now_ do you surrender, Sonic?" Eggman asked.

I saw a glint in Sonic's eyes that showed that he was trying not let much fear show.

"Search my dictionary, Eggy," he retorted. "You're not gonna find that word in there."

Eggman harrumphed. "Arrogant 'til the very end, I see," he mused. "Well, I'm sorry six months wasn't enough for you."

As the Nautilus moved its tentacle, still holding Sonic, back toward the ocean, I forced myself to look away. I felt completely helpless. Here Eggman was, destroying Sonic in front of us, and there was nothing anyone could do. Our last hope was Tails and Amy, but they were back at our private beach, and I didn't know if they knew about our situation.

Also... what did Eggman mean by "six months"?

Just then I heard a high-pitched sound coming from the direction of the Nautilus. Looking up, I saw that it was instead coming from Sonic. It was the sound of Sonic trying to break free of the octopus robot's tentacle by running at high speeds.

"To quote your future friend Silver, 'It's no use!'" Eggman laughed. "E-38's tentacles are made of my brand new super soft elastic rubber alloy! In fact, I think it's so good that I plan to use it in a few of my other robot designs at some point."

Indeed, the Nautilus' tentacles were elastic. The more Sonic tried to run, the farther the tentacle stretched, and the more it tried to pull him back. There was nothing I could do to help. If I ran in to attack the tentacle, not only would I not faze it, but I could be grabbed too, and I valued my lungs too much to go through what Sonic just did.

"Well, now that my biggest concern is neutralized for now," Eggman stated, "I have a little unfinished business. Crabmeats, take them to the-" He then realized that Sonic had destroyed the only means of transporting the Thorndykes to his base. "...Oh. He destroyed them. Well, no matter! Plenty more where they came from!"

I had to admit, it was weird hearing something optimistic from the doctor. It was almost to fake to be real.

As Eggman began typing something on a keypad in his Eggmobile, an idea came to my mind.

"Sonic!" I called. "Try running at the speed of sound."

"Way ahead of you, Chris," Sonic called, "but I can't. Not when this thing's got me restricted like this."

Just then we began to hear the sound of an engine, and I had a feeling I knew what it was. It couldn't have been a jet plane, not at that altitude. Then I realized that more help was finally arriving. Tails and Amy had finally arrived.

As the X-Tornado came into view, Eggman looked up from his keypad in surprise. Evidently he was taken by surprise. Good thing I hadn't said anything about them in front of him.

"Great," he groaned. "Now I can't summon more Capsule Carriers."

Then something happened to made our jaws drop.

The front cockpit to the X-Tornado opened midflight - _very_ dangerous. What shocked us even more was the sight of Amy Rose, hammer drawn, leaping out of the back seat and diving toward the Nautilus. She raised her signature weapon above her head.

"Let him goooo!" she screamed at a ferocity that could wake the dead. I was glad she was on our side. When Amy got mad, she was frightening to be around. This was something I would learn in the future.

Even though Amy was on my side, her determination still awed and scared me. So when Amy raised her hammer above her head and slammed it into the tentacle holding Sonic, I cringed at the impact. As she broke her fall with her hammer, I wonder just how she didn't break her wrists. "Don't think about it too hard," she later told me when asked about it.

Upon impact, the stretched tentacle snapped, causing it to whip back into the Nautilus, which in turn stumbled uncontrollably into the ocean. At the same time, now that Sonic had no resistance, he ran forward several yards and fell over as the tentacle unwound itself from around him. Amy turned her attention to Eggman.

"How dare you do that to my Sonic!" she screeched. "You know very well he hates water!"

But Eggman was ignoring her for the most part.

"Comeoncomeoncomeon..." he urged the Nautilus, which was struggling to move now that it was no longer upright.

Meanwhile, Sonic was gaping for breath now that he was free. Amy rushed over to him and extended a hand toward him to help pull him up.

"Thanks," he breathed as he stood up and cast the wrecked tentacle aside.

Amy beamed. "My pleasure."

The X-Tornado circled around to turn back toward us. As my eyes were focused on it, and the shiny golden ring it was firing toward Sonic, I almost didn't see Amy rush toward us, hammer drawn, to clear out the Crabmeats surrounding us.

I was taken by surprise when I suddenly saw Amy destroying Badnik after Badnik. "It's just me," she assured, though it did nothing to calm my nerves given today's events.

Now that Ella, Mr. Tanaka, and I were finally free, Amy pointed to the parking lot in the distance.

"I told Tails to pick you up at the parking lot. Now get going!" she ordered.

Nodding, Tanaka took Ella's hand and ran as fast as Ella could go, as he didn't want her to be left behind.

"Run ahead of us, Chris!" Tanaka told me. "We'll catch up!"

I nodded and sprinted back toward the parking lot. At least Eggman had fewer resources to catch us with this time around; not to mention he was preoccupied with Sonic, so we were safe for now... or so I hoped.

As we neared the parking lot, I caught sight of the X-Tornado descending toward the newly-paved blacktop. By now there were few cars, and Tails was able to land nimbly in the parking lot... which surprised me, as parking lots aren't made for planes.

Once Tails came to a complete stop, Tails opened both canopies. "Get in!" he urged.

It took me another twenty seconds to reach the X-Tornado. When I got there, Tails took my hands and lifted me into the seat behind his seat. The sudden movement took me by surprise for a moment.

As I buckled in, I watched as Tanaka and Ella approached the plane. Unfortunately, I did not have a good view of Sonic and his battle with the Nautilus. I assumed they were fighting because by now Sonic was ring-powered. Tails was standing outside his plane awaiting my guardians' arrival.

"How are we going to get in?" an out-of-breath Ella asked once they got close. "I don't see a ladder anywhere."

"Just hang on," Tails instructed. Much to Ella's surprise, he took her hands and, spinning his namesakes, flew into the air and sat her down in the fourth seat. I don't want to weight-shame, but the fox panted a little before flying back down and lifting Tanaka into the third seat.

"Sorry; I've been meaning to build a ladder," he apologized once we were all settled in. To Tanaka and Ella he asked, "Are you two okay back there? The belts aren't too tight or anything?"

"Mine is just a little snug," Tanaka admitted. "It's nothing too unbearable."

"Oh, that's because Cream was the last one to sit there," explained Tails. "There's a lever next to your seat that can loosen it for you. Now we need to get going; if we stay any longer, Eggman could come after us."

He clambered into the pilot's seat and shut the hatches. With about a minute's worth of back-and-forth maneuvers, he positioned the plane to take off from the parking lot. Pulling back on the throttle, the plane accelerated forward and lifted into the air.

As we took off, there was a large explosion. I looked down to see the smoking remains of the Nautilus. It was good to know that Sonic had destroyed the robot that tried to drown him. He had avenged himself.

The flight home was rather quiet, especially Ella and Tanaka. Even though I couldn't see them, I knew they were thinking the same thing that I was...

 _When will it ever end?_

Today had been a rather long day. I chastised myself for wishing for excitement, as I would surely get it. Didn't the day E-51 came teach me anything?

But today, it happened again. Eggman came _again_. He was relentless in his quest for power. He would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. And today, he attacked the resort opening ceremony of all places! Why there? Was it because he thought it might strike a blow against Sonic through me somehow?

"Are you okay, Chris?" Tails asked from his seat in front of me.

"I am now," I said. "Hopefully..."

Tails sighed. "I'm sorry I couldn't take you to the beach with us like we planned, but you know... your safety comes first."

"I understand."

There was a pause as we flew on. I began to mindless watch the scenery go by beneath us.

"So... did Eggman ever say what he wanted with you?" Tails asked. I looked up.

"Yeah. He said he wanted to take me, Ella, and Mr. Tanaka to his fortress to be... something. I forgot the word, but I think he wanted to turn us into robots... Eggman must really hate me..." I sighed, trying not to let any tears flow. "If I'm not safe with my own family... then I'm not safe anywhere..."

"It's going to be okay," quietly reassured Tails. "Eggman may have made you an enemy solely because you're one of us now, but don't worry. We're going to keep you safe. We'll be with you every step of the way. He's not going to touch you, I promise."

I smiled. His determination was admirable.

"Thank you..." was all I could say as the X-Tornado continued its course home.

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

I drove my entire spinning body through the heart of the Nautilus with a ring-powered homing attack, then immediately ran back and watched as the robot exploded with a shower of shrapnel. Darting over to Amy, I stood in front of her with my arms stretched out, ready to protect her from any shrapnel. Fortunately none flew our way, but some narrowly missed Eggman.

A piece of rubber landed in front of me, and I picked it up. I thought perhaps Tails could work wonders with this new material...

"Is that all you got, Eggy?" I asked, cockily rubbing under my nose.

"Hardly," Eggman scoffed, "but thank you for asking. I'll be back, perhaps sooner or later, so I wouldn't let my guard down if I were you!"

Silence reigned once again as Eggman flew away. In his wake, he had left mass destruction - wrecked buildings, smashed boats, and now a destroyed robot. By now I didn't see any humans around. I knew there would be quite a cleanup effort...

The Nautilus had put up quite a fight. Even though I could have single-handedly destroyed it, Amy was able to get a few hits in and neutralized another tentacle with her hammer before I pulled out the plug on Eggman's monster of the week. I really hate that trend...

"What's going to become of the resort now?" Amy asked, looking around. "I mean, look at it! Everything's either damaged or destroyed here."

"Eh, I wouldn't worry too much about it, Ames," I replied. "I'm pretty sure the staff will just clean up and reschedule the opening. And, for extra caution, I think I'm gonna make sure Eggman's nowhere near here when it reopens."

Amy nodded. "Good idea."

There was another pause as our adrenalin wore off.

"Chris definitely got some excitement today," continued Amy. "even if it wasn't the kind he wanted. I hope he'll be okay."

"Did you make sure he and his family got out of here?" I asked. Amy nodded.

"Oh! Before I forget, I made a little something for you at the beach."

My interest was piqued. I honestly couldn't remember the last time Amy made something for me, but it had been before the war, I think. She _did_ help Cream and Vanilla make the cake for the twenty-fifth anniversary of my being Mobius' hero. But what had she made for me today?

Amy pulled something from her dress pocket and held it up for me to see. It looked like... a bracelet made of seashells.

"You made this?" I asked as I accepted it from her.

"I sure did," Amy responded. "It's a lucky charm to protect you in the water, as well as make you a better swimmer.

I turned it over in my hands, examining it. "Is it, um, superstition?"

"Maybe?" she said. "But I made it for you anyway."

"Thanks a lot, Amy," I said. But just as I was about to put it on, a few hundred Mobian-sized robots appeared above the wreckage of the hotel in the distance. I guess Eggman really wasn't done here after all. He keeps his word too well.

The robots floated over to us until they were about twenty yards away. Then the most remarkable thing happened. They began to stack on top of each other. A robotic head resembling a snake, which had been floating amongst them, mounted the very top of the stack.

Amy summoned her Piko Piko Hammer as, sure enough, the good doctor returned in his Eggmobile.

"Don't act so surprised," chastised Eggman. "After all, I _did_ tell you I'd be back. "Had you destroyed my E-39 Termites, this wouldn't have happened! But you didn't, and now it's too late. Now they have combined to become my brand new... er... I'm still kinda thinking of a name for it."

I tapped my foot on the sand impatiently. Apparently this guy was for real.

"Maybe I should call it the Egg Serpent... hm, no, doesn't have a cockpit... What about Terpent?... No, too stupid... Ooh, maybe Serpentermite?"

This was getting ridiculous...

"How about we just call it toast?" I suggested.

"Chill, Sonic; it's not that easy! Names shouldn't just be made up on the fly, you know!"

I held back a laugh. "Pot calling the kettle black, then?"

Eggman grit his teeth. "Just attack the hedgehog already!" he ordered his snake.

Now that it was oficially fight time, I vaulted the snake, distracting it for a moment, before landing not far behind it. Hopefully Amy would be able to get a few hits in with that distraction.

"Yo, fang face!" I called. "Tasty hedgehog on the house! Come and get it!"

Amy ran toward the snake, brandishing her hammer. Suddenly the snake made a sudden move I did not expect. Its head whipped around and fired a cyan laser (not the Wisp, mind you) at me. I had no time to dodge.

At the moment of impact, my vision immediately blurred. I could make out very few shapes and colors, not to mention my hearing suddenly dulled as well. Everything sounded like I was underwater, a very unpleasant feeling. The energy was sapped out of me, and I collapsed. The pain that came with the impact wasn't overly bad, but it could be worse on someone with less stamina than me. In short: it was a stun ray.

I could feel the bracelet slip out of my hand with the clattering of seashells, and could feel that the clasp was undone. At the same time, I could hear AMy shouting my name, but she sounded much further away than she did.

With the stun ray's effects, I could barely make out Amy hammering the snake's tail. The impacts of her hammer also sounded far away. Now that she had the snake's attention, she began to hammer the segments off one by one. Anger really did seem to increase one's strength, and I marveled at the power concealed in what looked like a toy hammer. In fact, the robot looked like it was made for her and her alone to destroy it.

As the segments fell to either side of the robot, I could feel my senses beginning to return. I could barely make out Eggman saying that he should have brought a bigger robot.

With all of the robot's segments gone, Amy began to focus her attacks on the head. I tried to stand up, but collapsed again. Just a little while longer... then my full strength would return.

Amy struck the robot's head again and again. Then a spring inside its head activated, sending her flying through the air, and conveniently toward the Eggmobile. The head promptly exploded. Amy seemed to be caught off guard, but readied her hammer nonetheless.

"Maybe I should have used a different design instead," I could hear Eggman say in fright.

With one resounding _clang_ , Amy slammed her hammer into the hull of the Eggmobile.

"This is exactly why I listen to the SonAmy fans and don't intrude on their moments all the time!" Eggman cried as he sailed away.

Then I saw that Amy was bound to land in a deep part of the ocean! I tried with all my might to resist the weakness and paralysis of the ray's effects as Amy landed in the water. Even worse, she didn't come up immediately. The impact with the water must have knocked her out.

This meant that I had to rescue her! Even though I hated water, especially so after spending six months with Eggman, I knew I had to brave my fears and conquer the paralysis ailing me.

I walked over to the water's edge, took a deep breath, and dove into the water after Amy.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Amy slowly opened her eyes. Where was she? The last thing she remembered, she was falling toward the ocean, having given Eggman the boot. Now she was... back at Chris' house?

Sure enough, she was in the living room lying on one of the couches. She was still damp from being in the water, so she was covered in blankets to dry her.

"Amy's awake," called Cream from just outside the room. Evidently she had been watching Amy until she woke up. Cream once again took her position next to the couch.

"Did... did Sonic bring me here?" Amy asked.

Cream nodded. "Yes," she replied. "Mr. Sonic said he dove into the water after you and pulled you out and brought you back here."

Amy didn't know what to say about that.

"He... he managed to conquer his fear..." At least, Amy hoped it was true. He knew Sonic was not the type to let his fears get in the way of the lives of those he treasured most.

Amy shifted her position on the couch. "Did Tails bring you and all the beach supplies back here?" she asked for clarification.

"He did," confirmed Cream.

"Good to see you're awake," came Ella's voice as she entered the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Aside from being wet, I'm feeling mostly okay," Amy answered.

"Good to hear," Ella said. "I'll make lunch for you whenever you feel up for it." With that, she left the room.

Just then Amy remembered something.

"The... bracelet... where is it? I think it broke when Sonic was hit by the robot!"

"Mr. Sonic was hit?" Cream was surprised.

"That's what he told me," Amy recalled. "But it seems to me that he recovered quickly."

"I repaired your bracelet and gave it to Mr. Sonic." Cream smiled. "That's what you would have wanted, Miss Amy."

"Oh, Cream..." Amy scooped up her younger sister into a hug, even if her fur was still a little damp. "You're the best..."

Sonic entered the room. Notably, he was wearing the bracelet Amy had made.

"You feelin' okay?" he softly asked.

Amy nodded. "I'm feeling loads better, thanks to you. Cream told me all about your rescue."

Sonic smiled.

"It was nothing, really," he said.

"Oh, but it _was_ something, Sonikku," she said, using her pet name for him. "You braved your biggest fear despite all you went through today. That takes some real courage, you know."

"You know I never turn down the needs of a friend, Amy," Sonic promised. "By the way, you were way past cool with your hammer today. The way you did in Eggman's robot - it was almost as if it was made just for you."

"I think that's the most fun I've had with my hammer in quite a while," Amy said.

After a moment, Sonic allowed Amy to hug him. They had both been through a lot that day. They were both able to avenge each other in the same moment. For Amy, it showed that Sonic was never dismissive of her despite his laid-back attitude. For Sonic, even though their relationship was only platonic in his eyes, he was still very grateful to have Amy as a good friend.

* * *

 **A/N:** And that's "The Last Resort"! As you can see, I changed the last scene because I thought it would make more sense. Chris was origianlly going to be in that last scene, but I removed him. After all, this is an Amy episode, not a Chris episode. We have too many of those :P

Also, that SonAmy scene. I know it was short, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. I'm not really a strict shipper, but I suppoet SonAmy the most. I also support Knuckles+Rouge and Silver+Blaze. As for Tails, I don't really ship him with anyone, but I'd pair him with Cosmo over Cream any day. (Tails and Cream are cute as friends, not as a couple.)

Anyway, key differences!

 _-Badniks!_  
 _-The last scene is completely changed_  
 _-Snake robot: IMMA FIRIN MAH LAZOR!_  
 _-The snake robot (apparently called Serpenter) is no longer named._  
 _-Chrisreceivesmoremotivationfromhisfriends._  
 _-The Amy scenes on the beach are greatly reduced. Also, Sonic is removed from the first scene for related reasons._  
 _-Bokkun is no longer in this episode._  
 _-Renamed robots_  
 _-Why doesn't Chris just RUN when Eggman comes?! Well, he does now._

I thought Eggman fluctuated his personality a little too much this episode, but let me know if he or anyone else needs changing. If there are any OOC moments or continuity errors, don't hesitate to drop me a review or PM describing them, and I'll do my best to revise them.

Next up is "Unfair Ball", where I jammed more stuff into the plot than I thought was possible. Also, Knuckles is back.

Until next time, everybody, watch that Sonic episode of OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes!, and cross your fingers that the new Sonic movie design is good! And also do the Mario or something or whatever. I don't care.


	10. Home Run

**A/N:** I ended up cramming more into this chapter than I thought. That's phenomenal, especially for an episode that would normally be filler.

I forgot to say this last chapter, but you could probably consider the last chapter to be a belated SonAmy week chapter, even though I don't specialize in shipping. You may, however, get a few more SonAmy moments in the future.

Now here's something new I would like to do. I've meant to do this for a few chapters now, but haven't gotten around to doing it. So without further ado, I'd like to thank everyone who has favorited and followed my story since my last chapter.

Thank you, **NightShark774** , **Dragonshadow97** , **Cyan Quartz** , and **SuperTailsFan0812** for adding this story to your favorites list!

Thank you, **NightShark774** , **hyakubigundam** , **The Suburban Traveller** , and **jdg99star** for following this story!

I should probably go back and thank previous favoriters and followers as well.

Another thing I would like to mention is the potential of branching this story out to other websites. I've put a poll up on my profile page. Do you think I should branch out to platforms like Archive of Our Own and DeviantArt?

There is one more piece of news I have before I move on. I'm considering putting this story on a short break after my rewrite of the "Beating Eggman" arc so I can expand my backlog, as well as avoid potential burnout. The Chaos Emerald Saga is going to be considerably harder to write, and the later sagas, especially the final episodes of Sonic X, will be brutal to take on. I'm just not a big fan of universe-destroying threats.

Also, during said break, I may continue to go back and refine my earlier chapters by improving dialogue and amending some scenes.

About this chapter: I don't know that much about baseball, so bear with me here. Also, while I'm keeping the name Ballios, I'm going to rename the Diamonds baseball team to the Dolphins. Otherwise, it would be like naming a football team the Gridirons, you know?

With that out of our way, let's move on to the reviews and what matters most: the story!

* * *

 ** _Alexandria Prime_**

 _This was just cute_ _! I think Tails should come up with a way so that Chris can defend himself from Eggman when he decides to come and try to kidnap him. I'd probably do the same thing._

 **Thanks!** **I do actually kind of have a plan for that in a future chapter.**

 ** _The Green Seer_**

 _So, this review will be rather short because I don't really have much to say about this episode. First things first, that was one of the best disclaimer I've seen in a while! Wow, I really don't know what else to say… Beside a few mistakes with odd sentences and grammar, some double words, nothing much on that front._

 _"To be honest, this wasn't the mountain was ng this molehill out to be." I think I get the gist of it._

 _As you said, this was a filler episode, but it was overall well written. There was no awkward dialogue while I was reading and Eggman behaved like Eggman. I didn't really notice anything weird about his fluctuating moods, so great job on that._

 _So yeah, nice job. I'm waiting for the next chapter!_

 **Thanks! I actually wondered if anyone would notice them :P**

 **Yeah, sorry if there's some incorrect grammar and the like; FFN's spelling and grammar check is not as precise as Google Docs and other sources. Perhaps I should run future chapters through Docs first.**

 **I did originally think Eggman shifted moods too quickly. Maybe it was just me. I had him break the fourth wall because he does so in the show, at least in the Japanese version. The only other charavters to exhibit fourth wall breaks seem to be Sonic, Amy, and the Chaotix. Chris doesn't count because he is the narrator in the Japanese version episodes.**

 ** _SharpDragonKlaw_**

 _Even though this was filler episode you did a good job on letting Amy shine in this chapter. Hooray for Sonic for showing real courage by pushing past his fear of water to save Amy._

 **It wasn't like Sonic had much of a choice there. But no way would he just let events unfold because of selfishness.**

 **Also, a fun fact: I was originally going to have Chris appear in the final scene, and have a brief talk with Sonic concerning the former's safety, but ultimately decided against it; after all, it was an Amy episode, not a Chris episode.**

 ** _GuardianDragon98_**

 _Oh wow, action-packed and well-written as always. I'm curious as to how you'll go about Sonic explaining his six months of imprisonment in Forces to Chris. You can tell that he'll have to tell the kid sooner or later._

 **It doesn't seem to be a topic Sonic is comfortable talking about, so it may be some time before Chris finally learns of it. I can see Chris finally knowing about it some time in the Shadow Saga, perhaps.**

 ** _Animation Adventures_**

 _I wouldn't exactly call this a 'short' chapter. I think it's still plenty long. Also, it's fine to omit episodes you think are filler. I certainly don't have any objections to the ones you chose to skip over._

 _I loved this one as a kid. It was one of the episodes that validated my decision to ship Sonic and Amy._

 _Not much to say this time except the danger Chris, Ella, and Tanaka were put in was more apparent with Eggman's plans to roboticize them, and they're actually seen attempting to escape._

 _Great job as always. Not much of a baseball fan, but the next one might be interesting if you've got more plot stuff happening. I mean, the original was basically a baseball game over a Chaos Emerald that was found, so I'm curious to know if you're going to make things escalate._

 **Of the "Season 1" episodes (I prefer to go by sagas), 9 of the 26 episodes are filler, six of which are in the Chaos Emerald Saga. I can somehow try to find ways to make the filler episodes canon somehow, but others may have to be scrapped.**

 **This, as well as 24, 42, 52, 69, and 76 have the biggest SonAmy moments in my opinion. Fortunately I'm going to make Amy more level-headed when I take these on.**

 **I don't understand why they didn't just run in the original episode. In fact, the same thing happened in Episode 27. Maybe it's because, as Cream says in Episode 62, "Danger is our middle name."**

 **I too am not a baseball fan, but I did expand the scenes quite a bit. I'm not sure if there will be more a plot points going on, but there will be some fallout, as you'll see in the next chapter.**

Also, a big thank you to **kitsune6473** and **yugo** for their kind reviews, and here's the next chapter!

* * *

 _Disclaimer: Major League Baseball does not own the Station Square Dolphins. If you see a strange light that seems unearthly, contact your local Sonic hotline immediately._

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Tails was flying solo in the X-Tornado one crisp and cool night. But this was no joy ride. Tonight, he was flying in search of what he believed to be the second Chaos Emerald.

It was Wednesday, October 13, a week and a half after the incident at the Thorndyke Resort and Spa went down. The time since then had been relatively quiet, and Tails had been mildly surprised he had not seen any sign of activity from Dr. Eggman.

It wasn't normally like Tails to just take off without telling anyone else. However, his discovery of the Chaos Emerald made him so excited he just had to leave right away.

Having made the Miles Electric compatible with the Internet, he had been leisurely browsing around online in Chuck's lab, checking out several electronics forums, when he had become aware of the Chaos Emerald glowing in the scanner, which he had combined with his stabilizer. This could only mean one thing.

Elated, he leaped off the bed, turned off the safety on the stabilizer, grabbed the Emerald, and toted it down to the driveway where the X-Tornado was. Given the Mobians' situation on Earth, he thought that there would be no time to even tell his friends. All he had to do was fly out, claim it, and come back home... right?

However, Tails was beginning to have second thoughts about undergoing this mission alone. Perhaps he was a bit too impetuous. On the bright side, he was glad he had ironed out all the kinks he had found in the X-Tornado's controls and functions. Add in the miniature stabilizer Tails had installed in the console, and this provided one of the smoothest flights for any craft the eight-year-old genius had ever made.

However, the tranquil flight wouldn't last.

Suddenly the Chaos Emerald began to glow brightly, causing Tails to squint a little at the green glare it caused, and the whole craft began to experience unprecedented violent turbulence. Tails started to panic. This was supposed to be a cloudless night with calm winds. Why was this happening?

Then he began to piece things together. The turbulence started almost immediately after the Emerald started glowing. Perhaps this was the result of the Emeralds' erratic nature when one of them detected another. That sort of made sense...

Looking down, Tails saw that he was approaching a baseball stadium. The signal seemed to be strongest here, so the fox deducted that the Emerald had to be in there somewhere. So he attempted to land on the turf in the middle of the stadium.

However, upon a closer look, he saw a man below, probably a groundskeeper, who noticed him and attempted to wave him away. Tails got the message and lifted back into the sky. He figured he would land in the parking lot outside and enter from there, as anyone else would. He was determined to check out the stadium. Surely the Chaos Emerald was there.

Tails landed his plane in the parking lot, which, fortunately, was a lot more vacant that the one he landed in at the resort. In fact, there were only one or two cars there at the moment. After the plane came to a complete stop, he turned off the engine, removed the Emerald, and climbed out.

He looked up at the stadium, debating whether he could fly over the wall. But it seemed to be too high for him, which meant there had to be another way in. So he started toward the side doors to the stadium.

He ascended the steps, marveling at how tall they seemed. But then again, this world was scaled to humans, not Mobians. Nevertheless, he was able to climb to the top unassisted.

Tails strode toward the massive sets of double doors. Sure, the stadium was probably closed and locked up for the night. But if there was a groundskeeper in there, perhaps Tails could still get in?

He pulled on one of the giant doors. It had to be about three times his height, which meant he had to reach way up to the handles due to his small size. He was surprised to find that the door did indeed open. As he pulled it open, he marveled at how heavy it felt. But at least he was able to get inside.

Upon cautiously entering the dark building and looking around the stadium's lobby, he was amazed at what he saw. It was huge! There were so many paths everywhere, and so much to see. To be honest, it was a little hard to see due to the fact that only a few overhead lights were on, which spooked Tails a bit. Baseball stadiums were big and empty places at this hour.

Just when he thought he was going to get lost, he spotted one of the entrances to the stadium. As he approached, he was curious as to how the security hadn't detected him yet. After all, the door was _unlocked_. Did the groundskeeper simply forget to lock the door? Or did the city have enough common sense to not come here at night?

But not Tails. Common sense was not to be factored in tonight, not when the second Chaos Emerald was on the line in this huge, unfamiliar world.

At last, the stadium itself became visible. Tails had to squint at the suddenly bright and glaring lights. But when he slowly opened them again, he was struck by the sudden beauty the stadium presented to him.

It was so beautiful! The way the stadium lights shone on the turf gave it the illusion that it was glowing. Tails had been to a baseball game or two with his friends in the past, but he had never been to a stadium as beautiful as this!

He forced himself to snap out of it. He was on a mission, and sightseeing wasn't his objective.

He quickly ran down the steps toward the railing, being careful not to trip, then spun his tails to lift himself over the railing and down to the baseball diamond itself.

As he touched down, he realized that he had never been inside a baseball diamond before. This was a new experience for him. There was a first time for everything, right?

Tails quickly spotted the man he saw earlier working on a riding mower, as if nothing had happened just ten minutes ago. He knew this was the person he had to talk to. After all, the Chaos Emerald's glow was strongest as he was swooping over the stadium.

He began to approach the man. "Excuse me... Sir...?" he softly called.

Good. Tails' vocal presence didn't scare the man. Apparently his physical presence inadvertently did, as he began to cower behind the mower. A natural response, given most people don't tend to see aliens a lot in their lives.

"I won't hurt you, promise," continued Tails. "I only want to talk to you about something. Could you hear me out?"

"O-Okay," the man said as he stepped out from behind the mower.

Tails sized him up. He was a clean-shaven older man, probably in his early sixties.

"Wait a minute," he said. "Was that your plane I saw just a few minutes ago?"

Tails nodded. "Yeah. Sorry about scaring you tonight."

"That's okay," the man shrugged. "Oh, by the way, what's your name?"

"Miles Prower," the fox answered, "but everybody calls me Tails, because, well..." he gestured to his namesakes. "...it's kinda obvious."

The man's eyebrows raised. Clearly he didn't encounter many anthropomorphic two-tailed foxes in his life.

"I see," he said. "I'm Albert Butler, groundskeeper of Diamond Stadium. Now, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"It's quite a story," Tails replied, "and I don't think a lot of it is gonna make sense to you."

"I'll try to make sense of it," said Albert. "Here, who don't we go sit in the bleachers and talk?"

Tails nodded, and he and Albert walked in the direction of the bleachers.

"So, first off, you've heard of Sonic, right?" Tails asked, looking up at the older man, who nodded. "Okay. So he and a few friends, myself included, came here about a month ago from a distant planet called Mobius. Dr. Ivo Robotnik, who goes by Dr. Eggman, was also sent here. He had accidentally used the power of seven artifacts called Chaos Emeralds to send us here. Now we need to gather them all so we can do back home." He paused. "Did you get all that?"

Albert shrugged. "Sort of? I want to believe you, but... all of this sounds... what's the word... unearthly."

"I know how you feel," Tails sympathized. "It must be quite an experience to just be living a normal life, and suddenly it's filled with everything from aliens to killer robots and strange energy."

"I don't think I'll ever get used to it," Albert said. "I just can't. There's already too much going on."

"Don't worry," comforted Tails. "We'll do whatever it takes to protect this planet from Dr. Eggman. He's not going to succeed as long as we're around."

By now the two had reached the bleachers and were seated in them. From their seat, they got a good view of the baseball diamond.

"This stadium is really beautiful," Tails admitted. "Especially the turf. It practically glows under the stadium lights."

"I know," Albert smiled. "It's been said that Diamond Stadium has some of the world's best baseball turf. For the past thirty years, I got to personally tend to its quality. It was a great honor?"

"Was?" Tails looked up, puzzled.

Albert looked down. "I'm afraid so," he said. "Saturday is going to be my last day here. Due in part to debt and the demanding cost of upkeep, the manager has arranged to relocate the Station Square Dolphins to a new stadium, an indoor stadium with artificial turf." He said the last part with a hint of distaste.

"I don't know what's going to become of this stadium afterward," he continued, "but to me, moving on is hard. It's like the end of an era, both for me and the Dolphins."

There was a pause as Tails took in what he has heard.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said quietly. "I hope you can adapt to the new changes."

"I hope so too," said Albert. "And hey, speaking of changes, I had a question about your story."

"Go ahead."

"That gemstone that was discovered here about a month ago," he recalled. "Was that a... Chaos Emerald or whatever you called it?"

"You got it," Tails answered encouragingly. "That's why I'm here, actually." He pulled his green Chaos Emerald out from Hammerspace. "Have you seen anything like this around here?"

"As a matter of fact, I have," Albert replied. Tails almost couldn't control his smile. Another Emerald had been found!

"I found one a couple nights ago behind a dumpster near my house," he continued, "though it wasn't the same color as the one you have. I've held onto it ever since, 'cause I have no idea what to do with it. In fact, I don't even know why I decided to bring it with me tonight. Here, I'll take you to it."

Albert stood up and led Tails in the direction of the dugout.

"Every time I touch it, it seems to heightens my senses and, you know, make me feel more powerful and alert in a sense," he admitted, "and quite frankly, the thing scares me half to death. I don't know what to do with it."

"Well, you're in luck, because I do," Tails volunteered. "It seems you've experienced a glimpse of the Chaos Emerald's power. I could tell you stories of what they have done in the past."

"I think I'm good, thanks," the groundskeeper half-chuckles.

They reached the dugout, and Albert walked toward a backpack left on the bench. Tails assumed the Emerald was inside.

"Can I have it, please?" asked Tails.

Albert removed the beautiful cyan Chaos Emerald from the backpack.

"Here it is," he said. "I'm glad to see this thing be transferred into capable hands."

The two left the dugout, and Albert looked over at his riding mower.

"I think this Emerald nearly shorted out my mower a few minutes ago. That's why I haven't started mowing yet."

"Oh, I can take a look at it for you if you like-"

In that exact moment, both the Chaos Emeralds began to glow brilliantly, forcing Tails and Albert to squint. Tails had almost forgotten he was still holding his Emerald. Before anyone could say anything, a massive beacon of light emitted from the Emeralds and ascended into the zenith.

* * *

 **Third-person' POV.**

Eggman was seated in his command center, eating a secretly-catered Subway sandwich. Earlier that day, he had sent one of his disguised Egg Pawns to Subway to fetch him a sandwich and some soda. Despite his size, he usually tried to maintain his figure, but decided tonight he would pamper himself. Additionally, Eggman was never one to sit at the dining room table; he preferred to eat on the job.

Perception filters were the greatest non-lethal objects he had invented since the virtual reality sensors he gave his robots during the Phantom War. That way they could easily tell the real objects from the illusions. But with his perception filters, he could send robot spies through the city, and no one would bat an eye. That's why Eggman was a genius.

Meanwhile, Decoe, Bocoe, and Bokkun were working on upgrading the EggNet to the latest version. Rather, only Decoe and Bocoe were working. Bokkun was desperately trying to access a webpage, asking the robots how much longer it would be until they were finished making the Internet compatible with the EggNet. Needless to say, it was a long and tedious task, and they had come across several firewalls in the process. Furthermore, several important mechanisms, including the security system, had to be shut down to atone for the massive bandwidth usage. Eggman wasn't one to balk, but he feared the Internet would overload the system if the wrong procedures were taken.

On the beach below, GUN was still surveying the island. Ships would come and go with soldiers and surveillance supplies. He didn't know what they were doing, but Eggman decided not to take action against them. Should the military attack, which was inevitable, they wouldn't be able to get past the force field he had up anyway.

Just then an indicator began flashing with accompanying beeping.

"Report," Eggman ordered around a mouthful of sandwich.

"You do it," Bocoe told Decoe. "The Internet cannot install itself."

"We are 74% through the sixth firewall," Decoe reported. "If I abandon this project, we may be denied Internet for a prolonged period of time."

"Well, _one_ of you do it!" Eggman barked, not willing to lose his patience.

"Affirmative," Decoe saluted. "Bokkun, watch the progress in my absence."

Bokkun put down his tablet and flew over to the spot vacated by Decoe. "Who made _you_ second-in-command?" he muttered under his breath.

Decoe approached the monitor and pressed the button that stopped the now-incessant beeping. One look at the screen that appeared told him everything he needed to know.

"Doctor, our scanners have detected a beacon of light originating from the sporting venue known as Diamond Stadium," he reported. "It is likely Chaos energy."

Eggman's eyebrows raised. "Is it what I think it is...?" he mused.

Putting down his sandwich, he stood up. "Bokkun, fly out there and investigate this beacon. Report to me whether Chaos Emeralds are present."

"Aye-aye, Doc!" Bokkun saluted before flying up and out through a shaft in the ceiling. Eggman was glad he had installed the instant vent so that Bokkun could fly out for occasions like this.

It took three minutes for Bokkun to report back. In this time, Eggman was able to finish his supper.

As soon as Eggman sat back down, having thrown his trash away, an indicator appeared on the screen. Eggman pressed the Accept button, and Bokkun appeared. This meant that he was using one of his TVs to communicate.

"Doctor, the beacon faded just as I arrived," he reported, "but I'm detecting faint traces of Chaos energy in the air around where the beacon used to be." He adjusted his grip on his TV. "What's more, Tails and another man are down below. They each have a Chaos Emerald!"

"Is one of them green?" Eggman suddenly asked.

"Uh... Yeah. That's the one they found earlier, isn't it?" Bokkun queried.

"Yes." Eggman folded his hands. "Thank you, Bokkun. You may return."

Once the transmission ended, Decoe turned to Eggman.

"What is it, Doctor?" he asked.

"A Chaos Beacon," he mused. "I haven't seen one since the days of Chaos' rampage." He stroked his elegant mustache. "And to think it only took them a whole month to finally discover the second Emerald..."

"But Doctor," interjected Decoe, "if you knew of the Chaos Emerald's location the whole time, then why have you not claimed it before?"

"What, you think I'd just waltz in there and grab it with everyone looking?" Eggman replied.

"I do not mean to object, but your previous Chaos Emerald mission involved the use of an E-Series robot in plain sight of the city," Bocoe pointed out.

"Different situations call for different tactics," the doctor explained. "If I am to obtain the Emeralds without the suspicion of the public, then I will have to do it subtlely. In fact..." He stood up and wandered toward the doorway. "...I have already formulated a plan to obtain both the Emeralds."

He left the room and took the elevator down to the first floor. The scanners had initially picked up the Emerald, but Eggman kept this information under wraps just in case any of his hench-bots would leak it. Now that it was unearthed, not to mention the Chaos Beacon, the signal was much stronger than before. Now was the time to claim the Emerald.

Evidently Tails had brought his own Emerald there as well. _A foolish move_ , thought Eggman.

Now that the two Emeralds were together, they had created a Chaos Beacon. They were created when two or more Emeralds were brought together under the circumstances that the Master Emerald was broken, or, in this case, simply nonexistent. Without it, the Emeralds took on a more... _chaotic_ nature, with free-range power. They further lived up to their name.

One the elevator reached the first floor, he stepped out and walked toward a closet. Inside the closet was everything he needed for this mission - several sets of baseball jerseys, bats, balls, mitts, and caps for both his team and Sonic's team. He was glad for Chris' sake that he had an opportunity to play baseball with his defective E-51 unit. The boy would surely need the experience tonight.

 _When it comes to Chaos Emerald hunting_ , Eggman thought in glee, _Sonic is going to strike out tonight._

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

It was almost seven, and Tails still wasn't home.

Ella had delayed supper to allow Tails some extra time for him to return, but there was still no sign of the fox. In fact, the only way we knew he left was because we heard the X-Tornado leaving. However, after about an hour of waiting for him, we just decided to start supper. Sonic wasn't overly concerned about Tails at all; he knew he'd return soon.

We were having stir fry tonight, and Ella was teaching my friends about advanced etiquette. Sure, they knew how to use knives and forks in a pinch, but they rarely had the opportunity to use three forks, three knives, and various other dinnerware. Ella was showing them which fork was for which course. Sonic seemed to adapt quickly enough, but it became apparent to Ella that he was more of the type to eat and run - much like Matt, strangely.

"When is Mr. Tails going to come back?" Cream asked.

"I don't know," answered a concerned Grandpa. "He left without so much as telling anyone. Perhaps he didn't have time to."

"But that's not like him," Sonic said after swallowing some stir fry. "I know my bro; he's usually one to tell me where he's going before heading out." He became more determined. "Tell you what. If he's not back before we finish eating, I'm gonna go out and look for him."

"It had to have been something really important," Amy pointed out.

"Like a Chaos Emerald?" I suggested. Amy nodded.

"Exactly like that."

Just then I heard a small sound coming from somewhere... somewhere from in the house, coming downstairs, I guessed.

"Hey... Does anyone else hear that?" I asked. Cream strained to listen.

"No, I don't hear anything," she said.

However, as the sound became louder, we all began to her it. It sounded like a jet of some sort, and I wondered if it was Bokkun again.

Sure enough, the small robot flew into the room, toting a yellow TV, just like the last time. However, he was sporting a baseball cap. I immediately recalled my unfortunate last encounter with him. Tanaka, Sonic, and Amy stood up when he entered.

"Not _you_ again!" complained Amy.

"I don't know who you are," Tanaka said, steeling himself for whatever may come, "but how dare you break into our house, especially at this hour!"

"How'd you even get in here?" Grandpa questioned.

"Oh, that was easy," remarked Bokkun. "Your grandson left his balcony door unlocked."

Oh no. Was it really _that_ easy for him to get in? The last time he was here, he nearly blew up the living room. I made a note to myself to keep the balcony door locked at all times. I hated to do it, but as long as Dr. Eggman was at large...

"Anyway, you guys," he continued, "I've got a really important message from Dr. Eggman, as usual, but this time, it's addressed to the whole family, no exceptions. Dr. Eggman says so." This could get scary...

"Nice cap, Bokkun," Sonic complimented, although I couldn't tell if it was genuine, seeing as Bokkun was on the opposite site.

"Thanks. It's actually part of the doctor's plan. Speaking of, _stop stalling for time and let me play the message already!_ " he suddenly shouted, causing me to flinch. _Wow_ , his voice was shrill...

Bokkun reached down and pressed the power button on his TV. Dr. Eggman appeared on the screen, although his image was reduced in size to the top left of the screen, not unlike a Twitch streamer. The rest of the screen showed the night sky in Station Square, but there was a strange beam of light extending into the sky.

"Good evening, Thorndykes and rodents alike," he spoke. "Do you see this beam of light? Can you tell me what this is?"

I honestly had no clue what it was, and, judging by most of the others' looks, they were equally as confused. No natural phenomenon could generate this light, not even any skyscraper I knew of. In fact, the light was brighter than that of PewDiePie's Minecraft IKEA tower.

"A Chaos Beacon..." Sonic almost whispered in realization.

A Chaos what...?

"Bonus points for you, hedgehog," Eggman replied. "For those of you who don't know what one is, namely, the rest of you lot, Chaos Beacons occur when two or more Chaos Emeralds unite whenever the Master Emerald is not able to maintain control of said Emeralds. As the Master Emerald is not present in this universe, this is a ideal situation for Chaos Beacons to occur. This is their way of adapting to each other."

Eggman zoomed in on the light that seemed to extend into the evening sky forever. I wondered if it could be seen from space.

"You see, your friend Tails was foolish enough to bring his Chaos Emerald to the baseball venue known as Diamond Stadium, where a second Chaos Emerald has been discovered. Now that they are together... Well, you do the math."

He changed the screen so that his image took up the whole screen.

"I've been keeping tabs on this Emerald for a while, but now the time has come for us to compete for it."

"What do you mean, 'compete'?" queried Tanaka.

"Don't you know?" Eggman asked as if it were obvious.

We all shook our heads, though I had a feeling I knew where this was going.

"Baseball!" he exclaimed. "We will all play a game of baseball for the possession of the Chaos Emeralds. You are to meet at Diamond Stadium at 7:30 sharp. Uniforms and gear will be provided for you upon arrival."

"Now just a minute," Grandpa retorted, approaching the TV. It was evident Bokkun was getting a kick out of our reactions, for he was stifling a chuckle.

"You can't make any of us play against our will," he continued. "Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Dodgers fan, but I'm too old to be doing that sort of thing; not to mention most of them don't even know how to play."

Eggman waved his hand. "Then you have thirty minutes to learn before I come down to the stadium and claim both Emeralds for myself." He peered closer at us. "If you're looking for relief, your maid doesn't have to play if she doesn't want to."

Ella looked visibly relieved, and I wondered if Eggman was really going to make her play. I mean, I couldn't see her running the bases in a million years.

Grandpa was about to speak again when Eggman beat him to the punch.

"This robot will automatically jump stay your training session for you."

Bokkun smiled gleefully - a bad sign for us all.

"I hope you're good batters," he said, "'cuz there may be some beanballs."

With that being said, Bokkun put his TV back behind his... back?... and immediately began throwing baseball after baseball at us.

Immediately the havoc ensued.

Immediately glass cases containing some of our valuables were smashed by the flying baseballs, and food was scattered across the table; some of it landing on the floor.

"Take cover!" Sonic shouted, though of course the warning came too late.

Amy tried to pull Cream to safety under the table, while Tanaka did the same to Ella. I too ducked under the table, while Grandpa dropped to his hands and knees and crawled under the table next to me.

The noise of the baseballs destroying everything was very loud. This was uncalled for. First that mad doctor forces us to play baseball, now his underling is trying to kill us?!

"Wheee! Hammerspace is fun!" Bokkun exclaimed.

"That's _my_ thing!" retorted Amy from her spot under the table with Cream.

The baseballs were really piling up in the dining room. It looked like we were in the middle of a hailstorm. Fortunately, the table offered a lot of support, and only a few baseballs found their way into our hiding spot.

"I don't see a lot of hitting going on!" Bokkun called.

"That can be arranged!" replied Sonic from somewhere. I didn't see where he went when Bokkun went on the attack, but now I could see Sonic leap up and grab the robot, who began to protest when Sonic carried him outside. A few seconds later, he returned to the dining room and surveyed the scene as we crawled out from under the table.

"Everybody okay?" he asked with concern.

Not all of us escaped without a scratch. Tanaka had taken an unfortunate beanball, and a couple other rogue balls made contact with my shoulder and Grandpa and Amy's backs. Fortunately, I didn't feel too much pain, and Grandpa and Amy didn't show signs of pasting pain either, which was good. Tanaka held his head, but fortunately, he wasn't bleeding or anything. It would probably be bruised for a few days, though.

Grandpa, Amy, Cream, and I slowly got out from under the table and stood up, trying not to slip on the one-foot-high pile of baseballs. Cream was trying not to cry, and Amy was comforting her. I don't blame her for crying - this was quite a scary experience for all of us.

"Wh-why did he do that?" I asked, voice shaky.

"Like I said, Bokkun's a practical joker," Sonic explained. "However, his little 'pranks' can go too far, like what happened tonight." He looked across the room, which must have had as many as three hundred baseballs. "Sorry you all had to go through that."

"Well, we're alive, and that's all that matters," Grandpa said, kicking a few balls aside. "But we're going to have a night of cleaning ahead of us."

"I can take care of that," Ella volunteered.

"I can't play against my will," Grandpa repeated. "I just can't."

Sonic looked a cross between sympathetic and determined. "Doesn't look like he's leaving us with much of a choice, is he?" he said. "If this is for the Chaos Emeralds, then we shouldn't let this chance go to waste." He gestured to the stairs. "Tanaka, Chuck, Chris, you should probably get dressed; we need to be there ASAP."

The three of us started for the stairs, but I hang behind, as I had a burning question I needed to dispense.

"Sonic?"

"Hm?"

"Why does Eggman even want us to play baseball at all? If he wants the Chaos Emeralds so bad, why doesn't he just... I don't know, take them?"

Sonic smirked. "I think he just wants a shot at flaunting his victory in our faces. Ha! As if!"

I couldn't get enough of Sonic's cockiness, determination, and positive spirit. It helped counter all the negative emotions about having to go to Diamond Stadium, which was about half an hour away.

"Now you really need to go change," he urged. "Oh, and while you're at it, why don't you lock your balcony door? We don't want any other unwanted visitors in here, now do we, buddy?"

He ran out the front door, almost blowing me over with his super speed. I assumed he was going to stall Eggman. With that, I ran up the stairs to prepare for a busy athletic night.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

By Tails' estimate, it took nearly a full three minutes for the Chaos Beacon to finally fade.

During this time, the Emeralds began to feel warm to the touch, almost to the point of being hot. Tails had to admit,. he was scared. He had never been this close to a pair of rogue Emeralds. But it got worse...

Tails felt like he was locked in place - he couldn't move, only breathe and stare at the beam of light as it rose for many miles into the sky.

The whole city probably saw that beacon. This meant that chances were extremely high Dr. Eggman saw it as well! Now it was a given that he would come here and claim both Emeralds.

When the beacon finally faded, neither Tails nor Albert said anything for a while. But when Albert finally spoke, it was with fear evident in his voice.

"T-Tails... Wh-what was that? Wh-what just h-happened?"

"I-I don't know," Tails replied, equally as nervous. "I don't ever remember the Chaos Emeralds acting this way before..." He lowered his Emerald. "...at least, not for a long time."

Albert also lowered his Emerald. "Then... how _are_ they supposed to act?"

"It's a long story," answered Tails, "just not like this."

The fox looked in the direction of the stadium entrances. "We need to get out of here now," he said grimly. "Dr. Eggman is sure to have seen that beacon by now."

Tails sprinted toward the nearest exit, and Albert followed at a brisk walk. The exit seemed too far away from Tails given the urgency of the situation.

"Where should we take these things?" Albert asked.

"That's not going to be easy," Tails said, turning to face him. "Eggman's got the technology to track Chaos Energy."

"Indeed he does."

The voice that came from above them was gravelly.

Foreboding.

 _Familiar._

Tails threw a glance up at the night sky. There he was, floating above them in his all-too-familiar hovercraft. The doctor had come for the Emeralds. Decoe also came with him in a sidecar.

"Stand back," Tails told Albert as he faced Eggman.

"What do you want?" Tails demanded, though he knew the answer.

"The world," Eggman said, as if it was obvious. "But tonight, I'm giving you a choice: You can either hand over both Chaos Emeralds now and make things easier for both of us, or you can wait for your friends to show up so we can compete for them in a friendly game of baseball."

Tails deadpanned. "Is _that_ why you're dressed in a baseball jersey?"

"Yes, how's you guess?" replied Eggman in a somewhat sarcastic manner. "Anyway, I knew the Chaos Emerald was here since a few days ago. Just a few days is too long to wait for this moment."

"None of this makes sense, Eggman," Tails pointed out. "If you knew a Chaos Emerald was here, why didn't you just take it?"

Eggman sighed, evidence that he had been asked that question before.

"Look, even villains need their fun, okay?" he said. "Besides, I'm not going to run the risk of being arrested by this city's police force if I just come alone instead of, you know, making a big show of it. Now are you going to hand the Emeralds over, or do you want to wait for your friends so we can compete in baseball?"

Tails shook his head. This seemed like really strange behavior coming from Eggman. Then again, he had done some weird things in the past as well. "I don't really know how to play baseball aside from a few things I picked up, so you can count me out."

"Too bad," Eggman sneered. "We're going to play anyway."

"But-"

"On second thought," the doctor decided, "since your friends don't seem to be coming any time soon, I'm just going to take the Emeralds and run. It's a win-win."

Tails took this as a sign to act fast. What would Sonic do in this situation?

"Albert, split up and run," he ordered.

Albert was a little confused, but took off as fast as his aged body would let him. Tails ran across the diamond with his Emerald.

As Albert seemed slower and weaker than Tails by far, Eggman extended a claw out of the base of his Eggmobile. The claw began to advance toward him. In fact, he didn't realize the claw was after him until it was just a few feet behind him.

It easily reached him, its highly flexible fingers wrenching the Emerald out of the man's grasp before retracting back toward the Eggmobile. Albert stood shocked.

"I'm sorry, Tails," he called. "My legs aren't what they used to be."

Tails had no time to stop; he had to keep running. He had seen what happened, but he couldn't do anything about it. And now the claw was moving toward him as well.

He reached the edge of the diamond and looked up, contemplating whether to fly up into the stands and try to lose the claw among the seats. But there were so many seats and stairs up there! And the stairs were so steep for someone as relatively small as he was, so he was forced to rule that option out.

The claw was bearing down on him now. Tails quickly turned to his right and ran as fast as he could. Then he spun his namesakes and propelled himself forward - something he often did to keep up with Sonic when they were going somewhere fast.

Then he became aware of the sound of smashing metal behind him. He turned around and saw a certain red echidna massaging his fist.

"You okay?" he asked.

"No," Eggman butted in before Tails could answer, "he's not. With my first Chaos Emerald, I now have an edge over him!"

"...You already found the second Chaos Emerald?" Knuckles asked, despite it being almost a month since they found the first. "That would explain the Chaos Beacon. I haven't seen one of those since the days of Chaos' rampage."

"If I may, I found the Emerald," Albert spoke up.

"Since when did that matter?" Eggman shot him down. "Actually, Knuckles, you shouldn't even _be_ here, unless you've come to play baseball."

Knuckles looked both confused and surprised. "...Come again?"

"It takes nine to make a team on the field," explained Eggman, "and it's either you or Ella who will be the last member of Team Sonic."

"That's baloney," the echidna scoffed. "Why can't we just fight for the Emeralds the way it's always been?"

Eggman shrugged. "It gets boring after a while."

Knuckles crossed his arms. "...Fine," he half-heartedly replied. "But how long are we going to have to wait?"

"Not long at all!" piped up a familiar voice as Sonic ran into the stadium. "Oh hey, Knux."

"So you've finally decided to show up tonight," said Eggman. "I was getting worried, so I thought I would hold one of the Emeralds as collateral."

Aside to Tails, Sonic whispered, "Tails, you really shouldn't run off without telling us, especially if there's a Chaos Emerald given our situation here on Earth."

"Sorry, Sonic," Tails apologized, blushing a little. "I guess I was so excited about it that I left without telling anyone."

"It's okay," his big brother replied. "Just don't do it again, 'K?" Tails nodded.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Sonic?" called Eggman.

"If it's my dignity, then yeah, no, I kinda left it at home," Sonic shrugged.

"No, you cactus! Your friends! You're supposed to bring your friends with you!"

"They're on their way over." To Albert, he said, "You work here?"

"I'm the groundskeeper."

"Good. Can you let my friends in when they get here?"

"Will do," Albert nodded before walking in the direction of the lobby.

Sonic planted his hands on his hips. "So where's _your_ team, huh? Last I checked, one-man baseball is way past impossible, 'specially for you."

"I can say the same about you, Sonic," retorted Eggman.

"I've done it before," Sonic bragged. "In fact, I bet you didn't know I can bat the ball then run to third, maybe home, before you even hear the crack of the bat. In fact, I've even done unassisted triple plays."

Tails and Knuckles looked like they wanted to facepalm.

"But enough tooting my own horn," Sonic became more serious. "There are two Chaos Emeralds on the line, and I want to let you know that I am going to give it my all tonight, you hear me?"

"I've heard that before," Eggman said.

It only took less than five minutes for Albert to return to the stadium. With him were Sonic's other friends, who were looking around at the beautifully lit stadium. Especially Chuck, who was trying his best to hold in his inner fangirl.

"Excellent," Eggman mused upon seeing everyone present. "Now that everyone's here, may I present my own baseball team. All-robot, of course, courtesy of Eggman Industries, not to be reproduced in any way, shape, or form except with express permission from me, and I say no."

Just then the Mobians and Thorndykes became aware of an Egg Dropship coming into view. It began to hover over the diamond, and, in perfect Star Trek style, beamed nine robots in the stadium. With all of them being identical in design, they looked every inch the type of robot to play baseball.

Their design appeared menacing enough to scare Cream a little, and she clung to Amy.

"They're scary, Miss Amy..." Cream whimpered.

"It's okay," Amy reassured her. "They're not here to fight us."

"This is my E-21 Ballios team!" Eggman proudly presented. "I mean, I totally could have come up with a better name than 'Ballios'. I hate that name as much as you probably do now, but it was either that or 'Grand Slammer', which sounds dreadfully violent in my opinion."

The doctor then took a moment to count heads for the opposing team - Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Cream, Cheese, Chris, Chuck, and Tanaka.

"Good; there are nine of you," he deducted.

"But aren't there only eight-"

"Cheese counts," Eggman interrupted Tanaka. "Now then, groundskeeper, take them to the locker rooms, wherever they are and get them changed into their jerseys."

After supplying Albert with a large box containing all the jerseys, the groundskeeper motioned for the group to follow him. Knuckles and Sonic carried the box in the direction of the locker rooms. After they entered one of the locker rooms, Amy and Cream took two jerseys out of the box (they were marked with tags) and left to go to another locker room. The rest of the boys removed their jerseys from the box as well.

Chuck held up his jersey, but did not unfold it. "I may be spry, but not enough to play baseball, and I think that Cream and Cheese are too young for this."

"That means we're gonna be down three players," Tails said, concerned.

"I can fill as many spots as you need," volunteered Sonic. "Besides, Chuck, being the baseball megafan that you are, I think you'd make a great coach."

"I was actually thinking the same thing," Chuck replied, joy filling him.

To Albert, he said, "I think I recognize you. Aren't you the groundskeeper I've seen here sometimes?"

"That's me," he confirmed.

"How are things going with Elmer Johnson?" Chuck continued. "I heard there was tension between you."

"Yes, and things aren't looking any better for us," Albert said with some regret. "Elmer is still set on moving the Dolphins to a newer stadium."

"I hope things are going to work out soon," Chuck sympathized. "Moving a whole team is hard."

"I know."

Chuck was a season ticket holder for several consecutive seasons. Since he was mostly retired, he was able to go to most games to root on the Dolphins. He had occasionally caught glimpses of Butler during the fifth and seventh inning stretches. The groundskeeper had been born Alfred Butler, but he had his name legally changed so as to avoid being called out for being named similarly to Alfred Pennyworth, Batman's butler.

It didn't take long for everyone to be dressed in their jerseys and caps. They had put their regular clothes on the benches - no one else would come to the locker rooms tonight.

"Y'know, it was kinda considerate for Eggman to make jerseys that fit everyone," he mused. "Just how did he do it...?"

As the boys filed out of the locker room and headed back toward the diamond, Sonic noticed that Tails looked glum.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Sonic asked.

"A couple things," he responded in a low voice. "One, it feels like Eggman is making us play against our will and on such short notice. Two, Albert told me about the turf, and I don't want Eggman to ruin it."

"I understand the first part, Tails," Sonic said, placing his arm on Tails' shoulder, "but there have been countless games here before. Besides, the turf can always be regroomed afterward, right?"

"Not if it's burned..." Tails mumbled.

"I see... Well, we'll make sure that doesn't happen, okay?" comforted Sonic.

"Okay..."

At this point they reunited with Amy and Cream, who were also wearing orange baseball jerseys. Even Cheese had his own tiny little jersey and cap. One minute later and everyone was back in the diamond. Eggman and Decoe had parked the Eggmobile near the second dugout and were also standing in the diamond.

"It's good to finally meet you in person, Chuck Thorndyke," Eggman shook the scientist's hand. "I've read of your work on the Internet."

"So I've heard," Chuck said dryly, moving a little closer to Chris.

"You've raised your son and grandson well. But enough of that." He spread his arms wide. "It's game time!"

Chris began to look discouraged as the weight of the situation crashed over the young boy's shoulders. Sonic noticed this and approached this.

"You nervous?" he asked softly. Chris nodded.

"I've never... y'know, played on a full-sized baseball diamond before..."

Sonic nodded. "I know we can win this, because we have the power of teamwork and friendship, and all Eggman has is a bunch of scrap metal. B'sides, if you strike out or something, me and my friends can always make up for it. We've got your back, Chris."

"Thanks, Sonic," Chris said. He was glad his friends had been briefed on the rules of baseball on the way over.

"I hate to be a one-note guy," Knuckles brought up, "but this is stupid! Why aren't we fighting over the Chaos Emeralds the old-fashioned way?"

"It's always fight first, ask later for you, isn't it?" Amy smirked. "Where's your sense of friendly competition?"

"Furthermore," Knuckles continued, blowing Amy off, "it's foolhardy to wager two of the most valuable Mobian artifacts over a mediocre baseball game that's probably rigged. If Eggman wins, this means he has an edge over us that could easily have been prevented!"

Sonic, Amy, Tails, and Chris nodded, seeing his point.

"I never did understand echidna logic," said Eggman. "But we're going to play anyway. I mean, you don't _have_ to, but that would only mean I get both Chaos Emeralds now and all you get is an extra fuel bill for coming all the way out here for nothing."

"Fine! I'll play!" Knuckles shouted exasperatedly. "I'm going to show you that I am the best baseball player there is! And we're _going_ to win because losing is not an option!"

Chris could almost see Tails sweatdropping. Sonic nudged Chris.

"It's okay," he comforted. "We're with you every step of the way. Even if we lose, there will always be an opportunity to get the Chaos Emeralds back."

"Since I'm feeling generous, which may be a bit out of character for me," Eggman announced, "I'm going to allow Team Sonic to go first, but be warned: I certainly won't make it easy for you."

Eggman's Ballios robots took their positions around the diamond and Teams Sonic and Eggman headed to their respective dugouts.

"Decoe is going to serve as tonight's umpire, and we are going to play five innings," continued Eggman. "I don't have the time for all nine, and three feels too short, so I'm sure five will do.

Team Sonic was bury getting settled in their dugout. They got their bats ready.

"I think I'll use my hammer," decided Amy. "I'm more comfortable with it."

"How long will we be playing?" Cream asked with some worry in her tone. "Will we be playing a long time?"

"Not really," Sonic reassured her with a wink. "Five innings is comparatively short to nine. It'll be over before you know it. In fact, if everything goes well, you won't even have to bat."

"This game may be a trap," Chris said suddenly. "Does anyone realize that? Eggman may have something bigger in mind."

"I know; I'm fully aware of that," Chuck replied. "That's why we shouldn't be careful at all times. There's no letting our guard down."

He took one minute to decide the order of batters. He looked up when finished.

"Chris is going first," he decided, much to everyone's surprise, mostly Chris.

"Um, Chuck? Is that really wise?" Sonic asked.

"That's really not a good decision," Amy backed Chris up.

"I know. But Chris is going to set an example of how baseball is done. I don't know if you have baseball on your world, so you'll get to learn something through experience."

"We have baseball on Mobius," Tails confirmed. "I've seen a few games, and even attended one, but I don't really follow it."

Chris nervously made his way to the exit of the dugout.

"Give it your best shot, Chris," Sonic encouraged. "We're rooting for you!"

"Good luck, Chris!" Chuck called as Chris left the dugout and took his place at the home plate. Admittedly, his palms were sweaty, and he didn't know if he could think straight with this much pressure on him. Decoe gave the signal to begin the game.

"Play ball!"

This was it... now or never... Chris knew for certain that Eggman would pull something this game. He wasn't sure what it was yet.

He looked to the Ballios pitcher. Even though it wasn't designed to attack, it still looked intimidating. He readied his bat, physically and mentally preparing himself for the pitch.

The Ballios pitcher raised its arm and pitched the ball toward home plate; only this was not an ordinary pitch. This fastball flew fast, impossibly so. It must have gone at least 200 miles per hour!

Chris tried to hit the ball, but was far too late. In fact, the Ballios catcher caught the ball before Chris even began to swing his bat.

"Strike one!" Decoe called.

Chris sighed. If _that_ was how Eggman's team was going to play, then this game would be downright impossible!

Even worse, he began to further lose hope when strikes two and three followed. Super fastballs were also to blame for them.

As Chris walked back to the dugout, head hanging, Eggman laughed from his dugout.

"Now do you see what you're up against?" he gloated. "I bet none of you were expecting _that_!"

Sonic winced as Chris stepped back inside the dugout. He placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You tried your hardest out there, Chris," he said. "There wasn't anything else you could do."

"I just hope you have better luck than I did," Chris said, taking a seat. To say that he was disappointed was an understatement.

"You're next, Tails," announced Chuck.

"Go get 'em, buddy," Sonic told the fox as he picked up his bat and headed out to the base.

Chuck leaned toward Chris. "The game has only started, so there's more than enough time for a turnaround," he said.

"I hope so..." Chris sighed.

Tails took his place at home plate. It was clear that he didn't look as sure as he did after he saw Chris fail. He honestly had no idea that the Ballios would strike Chris out that easily.

So when the Ballios pitcher made a move to pitch, he fully expected a fastball. However, when the ball flew toward the catcher, the pitcher's hand was still attached to it. The pitcher was just simply extending its hand toward the catcher. This caught Tails off guard.

Once the ball was in range, Tails tried to bat it, but the hand quickly raised until it was out of reach, then dropped the ball into the catcher's waiting mitt.

"Strike one," judged Decoe.

Tails tried not to vent his mounting frustration at the level of cheating that Eggman had put into this game thus far.

"Is it not my fault that the pitching unit has long arms," Decoe shrugged.

"But is it your fault that your team is cheating?" Tails countered. Decoe did not reply, instead signalling that gameplay should continue.

Tails was unfortunately struck out, just like Chris before him. The second strike went the same as the first, but for the third, the pitcher underhandedly tossed the ball extremely high in the air, and was caught perfectly by the catcher.

"Batter out."

Tails sighed in exasperation as he dragged his bat back into the dugout. "This game is impossible!" he complained.

"Hey," Sonic reassured, "Eggman may be daunting in this game, but know that we'll beat him like always in the end, in baseball or otherwise."

Tails nodded. Karma did seem to be on their side wherever they went.

"Amy, you're next," Chuck said. Amy made her way past the other on her way to the dugout. She looked deterred by the previous plays, but was still determined to at least hit the ball.

"I hope I'm ready," she said, preparing her Piko Piko Hammer. "Wish me luck."

Amy made her way over to home plate and readied her hammer in a batting position. Back in the dugout, Tails turned to Chuck.

"I know Eggman, and it really doesn't make sense that he's practically forcing us to play baseball," he said. Chuck nodded.

"I never thought I would want a baseball game to end quickly," he said with some regret.

"I thought you liked baseball, Mr. Thorndyke," Cream recalled.

"Well, that's the thing, Cream; I _do_. It's just that... well... I never thought I would see one as unusual and unfair as this one. It's almost like if the Patriots have eleven Tom Bradys on the field."

Just then they heard the crack of the bat - or rather, Amy's hammer in this case.

"She actually got it..." Chris breathed.

Amy seemed just as surprised. Seeing that she succeeded in batting the ball, she put away her hammer and ran as fast as she could toward first base. However, the unexpected happened.

The Ballios center fielder ran over toward the right fielder, lifted it up, and boosted him very high into the air. The right fielder raised its mitt and easily caught the ball before it could leave the diamond. It then threw the ball down into the waiting mitt of the Ballios first baseman.

"Batter out," Decoe called.

Unlike Tails, Amy made no attempt to hide her anger.

"That was totally unfair!" she protested. Eggman only laughed in response.

"All is fair in love and war, you know," he stated.

"But-"

"Seeing as you've run out of chances to score this inning, it's time to switch sides," declared the doctor. "Now I can score without giving you any mercy!"

The team of Ballios left the field, and, in time, their positions were taken up by Team Sonic. Only Chuck wasn't on the field. They were somewhat unnerved at the prospect of Eggman continuously scoring on them.

Chuck had assigned Tanaka the position of catcher, and had made Amy the pitcher upon request. She claimed she would make a much better pitcher than batter anyway.

In her first play, Amy pitched the ball, but it "accidentally" flew too far to the right and end up slamming into the Ballios' metallic head, much to the mirth of Team Sonic. It even got a laugh out of Amy.

Eggman, however, was the only one not laughing. "I hope that wasn't intentional," he growled. "You should know that all Ballios units are built to withstand beanballs."

"If that's so," Amy countered between laughs, "then why is there a big dent in the batter's head?"

Eggman faltered to find an explanation. "L-look, it's just a fluke, okay? Now let's get on with the game!"

A few plays later, Eggman's team managed to land a Ballios on second base. But the play afterward was when thing began to get hairy.

Cream noticed the Ballios beginning to sneak toward third base before the play began. She thought this was against the rules, and was about to call it out when Amy pitched the ball.

To Amy's surprise, the batter did not react, and Tanaka caught the ball. Decoe called a strike, surprising much of Team Sonic.

Now Tanaka noticed the Ballios running toward third base. The play should have ended with that strike, but evidently something was wrong. He had to react.

He threw the ball toward Tails, who was the third-baseman. He caught the ball the moment the Ballios leaped high into the air above Tails. The fox could only stare. What was its game?

It touched down on the base on the other side of Tails.

"Safe," indicated Decoe, much to the astonishment of Sonic's team. This time, Tails could hold in his anger any longer.

"That's not fair!" Tails shouted. "A strike means the end of a play! How can this move even count?!"

"It's _my_ game; of _course_ it counts!" Eggman said smugly, crossing his arms.

"It's still cheating, though!" countered the irate fox. "I saw Tanaka; he caught the ball fair and square!"

"And the robot began running before Miss Amy threw the ball!" Cream pointed out.

Eggman chuckled. "Well, 'fair and square' is for losers like you. You're up against the big leagues tonight. Deal with it!"

Tails looked ready to protest some more, but sighed instead. This was Eggman's game after all. They had to accept it and move along, even if that last play was a bitter pill to swallow.

It took about five plays later, but Team Sonic had _finally_ managed to get an out on Eggman's team. That was the first major accomplishment they had this whole game, and it was the bottom of the first inning.

But in the very next play, a Ballios batter batted the ball with enough force to send it out of the stadium. Sonic saw it soaring through the air, and ran up to the top of the scoreboard to catch it, which he did. Granted, it was a beautiful catch. What he didn't count on, though, was Decoe signalling that this was a home run. This surprised the hedgehog, and he leaped back down to the diamond and over to Chuck.

"That wasn't a home run, was it?" Sonic asked.

"I'm afraid it was," he said. "Yes, you caught the ball, but not before it flew outside the fences." He straightened his cap. "I applaud your efforts, though. If you want to catch a home run, do it while it's still above the diamond."

"Point taken," Sonic nodded before rushing back to his shortstop spot. He was still annoyed by that new development, though.

"If _they_ _'re_ not playing by the rules, then why should we?" he wondered. "After all, this is a fanfiction!"

He took that back, though. He was better than that. He wasn't one to cheat, even against Eggman in this situation. Teamwork beat cheating any day.

Finally, after much team effort and coordination, which took more than a few plays, Team Sonic managed to get a second and third out on Team Eggman, which sent the game into the second inning. Now Team Sonic could try and score again.

And score they did. With extra effort, they were able to make a few points, but they were still trailing behind Eggman.

When Amy's turn to bat came up again, a smirk was on her face. It was time to have a little more fun with Eggman's robots.

When the ball was pitched (at a reasonably normal speed this time), Amy batted it straight into the pitcher, causing a bit of damage to the Ballios' chest plate. Once again, her team laughed.

"I think _that_ was worth my going out of my way to come here," Knuckles commented as he fiddled with his cap.

"I know, right?" Sonic replied. "That's why you don't mess with her."

"In spite of what Eggman said, I don't think these robots are all that durable," analyzed Tails.

"And it really shows," added Sonic.

While Chris enjoyed that performance, he was still feeling bad about having been struck out for the second time not too long ago. Would he be able to redeem himself?

Two plays later, Knuckles hit the ball's sweet spot, sending it far and high into the air. The Ballios fielders attempted to retrieve it using teamwork, and nearly did so, but they missed, resulting in a home run.

"Up... over... and gone," Sonic said, watching the ball.

"Way to go, Knuckles!" cheered Tails as the echidna ran the bases.

However, just a few points later, Eggman redeemed himself. He set Team Sonic up, and made an epic triple play that sent the game to the bottom of the second inning.

Amy, Tanaka, and Chris, the former base holders who got outs, sighed as they returned to their dugout. This game was impossible!

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Having finished a late dinner with his wife, Elmer Johnson decided to chill. The owner of the Dolphins reclined on the couch and flipped on the news. Now he could watch some well-earned Dr. Phil.

However, to his surprise, the program before it was being pre-empted by live breaking news covered by Scarlet Garcia. She was the one to go to for emergency stories, similarly to FOX News' Shepard Smith.

Tonight, she was reporting from... of all places... _Diamond Stadium_!

"... directly involves Dr. "Eggman" Robotnik and Sonic the Hedgehog, along with a few accomplices," Scarlet was saying. "It is believed that residents of the Thorndyke household are participating as well. We don't know how they entered the stadium, as it is closed to the public at this time, or why they are playing, but it appears to be linked to the pillar of light originating from here almost an hour ago. We will bring you more details as they come."

Seeing this on the news... he was convicted about something.

Good thing Elmer was still wearing his work suit. He hadn't bothered to change into his house clothes yet, and it was a good thing they weren't stained at dinner.

The first thing he thought to do was call Albert. Surely he would be there at this hour as he usually was.

Elmer reached for his phone he put on the table and speed dialed Albert's number. Despite the feud, he still had his number in there in case Albert ever changed his mind on the stadium.

A few rings later, the groundskeeper responded.

"Hello?"

"Albert, are you seeing this?"

"Oh the game?" verified Albert. "Yeah, I'm at the stadium right now. I think you should know that we're getting quite a crowd gathering outside the doors. It looks like they're eager to see the game in person."

"I can't believe it..." Elmer breathed. "Okay, I know that this probably going to break a couple rules, but let them in free of charge. Tell them they can sit anywhere they want."

"Uh... Okay. I'll do that."

"I'm coming over there now. Don't go anywhere."

As he hung up, his wife Linda walked in from the other room, and was astonished to see what was on TV.

"Is that Sonic... and Eggman?" she asked. "How did they even get in your stadium...?"

"Like Scarlet was just saying, it could have to do with the beam of light that was there a while ago," Elmer answered, standing up. "I have no idea what started the game, though. That's what I'm going to find out right now."

"You're leaving now?" Linda queried.

"Yes," Elmer nodded. "I need to speak to Albert."

"About what?"

"Well... It's about the move," he thought deeply. "This game has convicted me of something... Perhaps moving the team isn't just about relocating. No, it needs the spirit of the original building as well. And I've just thought of something I can do to make the move more worth while."

Elmer hadn't planned on driving to the stadium tonight, but he wanted to get to the bottom of this in person, as well as make up with Albert. So he said goodbye to his wife, grabbed his car keys, and drove off to the stadium.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Some time later, the game was now at the top of the fourth inning, both teams having scored many points. By this point, the score stood at 35-32 in Eggman's favor. As the official scoreboard was not being used, Chuck himself was keeping score.

"This is an exceptionally high-scoring game," he remarked. "At this rate, it will only take us four more runs to overtake Eggman's team, but we don't have much time to do that."

"'Only' is an understatement," Amy said. "None of us were counting on that triple play earlier."

Chuck was pacing the dugout. "I know," he nodded, "which is why we must keep our eyed peeled for trick moves at all times."

"I think it's Mr. Tanaka's turn to bat," Chris said.

"It is..." he thought, "but hold on a minute. I think I'm going to throw a curveball in Eggman's plans."

"What are you thinking of doing, Grandpa?" Chris asked.

Chuck looked up, grinning. "I'm going to put Cheese in as a pinch hitter for Tanaka."

Tanaka was surprised, as were some of the others, sans Sonic and Knuckles.

"Chao chao!" the excited Chao flitted about the dugout in delight. Cream, however, wasn't as enthusiastic.

"Is it really a good idea?" she asked. "I don't want him to get hurt."

"He won't," Sonic voiced his confidence. "You know how small he is compared to the Ballios. He'll do just fine."

"I know he will," Chuck added.

He supplied a bat to the Chao, and he flew out to his base and landed on the plate.

The Ballios pitcher appeared flustered. It scanned Cheese and analyzed a tiny strike zone. This was not optimal for victory. Yet it was determined to strike Cheese out.

Eggman was not pleased to see this delay.

"How hard can this possibly be?!" he fumed. "Just strike him out!"

However, such did not happen. Four pitches later, the ball sailed over Cheese's head. The Chao didn't flinch as the ball passed a few feet above him. Four balls, all on account of Cheese' height."

"Ball four. That's a walk," declared Decoe with some disappointment.

Cheese flew happily to first base, and most of Team Sonic were surprised at what happened.

"I didn't expect _that_ to happen," Chris said in amazement.

"Neither did I," Cream echoed.

"That was a way past smart move, Chuck!" Sonic flashed the professor a thumbs-up. "That's why you're the coach!"

Chuck grinned. "I thought it would work. Looks like it paid off."

He then turned to Cream. "You're next."

Cream looked slightly nervous, but stepped outside the dugout anyway. Chuck followed her, and offered to help reinstruct her how to properly hold the bat. It took a little practice, and he could sense Eggman glaring impatient daggers at them, but at last Cream was holding the bat right.

"Understand?" he asked.

"Yes, Mr. Thorndyke," she answered. "But I don't want the ball to hit me."

"Don't worry about it," Chuck comforted. "The pitcher is aiming for the catcher, not you. All you have to do is hit the ball and run as fast as you can to first base."

"Can I also fly there?" Cream asked.

"So what Sonic says is true that you _can_ fly?" Chuck wondered in amazement.

"Yes, Mr. Thorndyke," Cream answered.

"Well then... Given all the tricks Eggman has up his sleeve this game, I don't see why not." He motioned to the home plate. "Take care out there, and remember to keep your eyes on the ball."

"Okay, Mr Thorndyke!" Cream called behind her as she ran to her spot at bat.

Admittedly, the small bunny was nervous. The Ballios was so big, and the ball flew so fast... But wait a minute. She got a great idea!

"Mr. Pitcher~?" she sweetly called. "Could you... maybe go easy on me this time? I've never played baseball before."

Apparently turning on the charm worked. Cream was surprised that it did. The Ballios did not know how to respond. Those in the dugout looked at one another, confused.

But Cream was not done.

"I'll make you a flower crown if you'll let me go to first base~"

Everyone could swear the robot was blushing furiously as it dropped the ball on the spot. Seizing her opportunity, Cream sprinted toward first base as Cheese flew toward second. By the time the pitcher recovered from the cuteness overload, Cream was already standing on first base.

"How was that even possible?!" Eggman fumed as he threw his baseball cap down onto the floor. "She just got a walk because of you! Can't you do anything right?!"

Cream giggled at the doctor's misfortune. She was sure there was more where that came from.

"Well, that was... interesting..." Chuck commented.

"No one can refuse a request from someone as sweet as Cream," Amy said, smiling at her friend on first base.

"She's full of surprises, isn't she?" Knuckles commented.

"You're next," Chuck told the echidna, who eagerly picked up his bat.

"Time for another home run," he said as he ran out of the dugout toward the base.

Sonic shrugged. "And here I thought _I_ was the cocky one..."

True to his word, Knuckles scored a home run during the next play after one strike, and an epic one at that. He, Cream, and Cheese rounded the bases, increasing the score by three.

"Now we're tied at 35!" Amy exclaimed. "Only one more and we'll surpass Eggman!"

"Listen," Tanaka said, and the dugout became hushed. They could begin to hear the sound of people cheering as the players were rounding the bases.

"Why are people coming now?" Chuck asked. "I thought the stadium was closed."

"I think they too must have seen the beacon," guess Tails.

"But who let them in?" Chris asked.

Chuck paused. "I don't know, but Albert is my best guess."

"The door was unlocked when I got here," Tails recalled.

Eggman, on the other hand, had a different reaction.

"So there are witnesses to our little sportly skirmish," he mused to himself. "Well, now then can watch me win this game against Sonic!"

A few more plays later, Sonic batted the ball. Even though he couldn't run to third base before anyone could hear the crack of the bat, as he joked about earlier, he was still able to make it to second as the Ballios pitcher was calling to receive the ball.

"You were always a showoff," Eggman muttered. "But no matter. If my 300-IQ memory serves me well, Christopher is next, so this next play will be a breeze. He has yet to even hit a ball."

"You're next Chris," Chuck told Chris inside the dugout. The boy picked up his bat and prepared to head out, but stopped. He knew by experience that he couldn't do it.

"You can do it, Chris," encouraged Tails from his spot near where Chris was.

"I hope I can..." Chris said.

"I _know_ you can," Amy added.

"Good luck, Chris," Chuck said as Chris walked out of the dugout and toward the home plate.

Despite his friends' encouraging words, confidence was not with him. What if he failed his team yet again? So far, during this entire game, he had yet to prove himself useful to his team in some way.

Once again, the pitcher threw a fastball, which seemed to be Eggman's preferred method against him. Once again, it was a swing and a miss.

 _Like I thought, I couldn't do it,_ Chris thought as Decoe called a strike. _I can never hit a ball that fast! What if I strike out again? What if I end up letting the whole team down? We could all lose, just because of me! I haven't even hit a single ball this game!_

Chris decided to try again, though. The Ballios pitched the ball, and Chris swung, once again being far too late. He sighed. Was it worth trying anymore?

"Time out!" Sonic called from second base, putting his hands in a T-formation before running over to Chris side.

"Seems like you're having problems," he observed.

"Yeah..." Chris said, not really feeling like talking much.

"I know you're struggling, Chris," the hedgehog continued, "but trust me, you can do it."

"I tried, but he's pitching so fast!" Anxiety grew in Chris' voice. "I don't want us to lose because of me!"

"Hey, hey," Sonic said in a calming voice. "It's okay. I know this is tough for you, but try not to think too hard or too long about hitting the ball. All you need to do is just relax... and act. This goes for everything in life, not just baseball. Okay?"

Chris nodded. He believed he was beginning to understand.

"So just keep trying and don't give up, okay?"

Again, Chris nodded.

"Give it your all, Chris," Sonic finished. "Good luck out there!" With that, he returned to his base.

As play resumed, Chris took a deep breath. Sonic's words really resonated with him.

 _Trust me, you can do it._

Time seemed to slow down for the twelve-year-old as the Ballios pitcher raised its arm to throw the ball...

 _Just keep trying and don't give up, okay?_

The ball flew from the pitcher's grasp...

 _As you need to do is just relax... and act._

...and sped its way toward Chris...

 _Just relax..._

Chris steeled himself, ready to swing the bat.

 _...and act._

He swung the bat with all his might, but something felt different this time. It was either the pep talk Sonic gave him, or the fact that Decoe didn't call the third strike.

Then he heard it:

"Run, Chris! Run!"

It was all of Chris' friends calling to him to run for first base. Without hesitation, he began running for all he was worth. A quick glance behind him told him he _did_ hit the ball after all, even if it wasn't very far, and that the catcher was running after it. He was mildly surprised that it wasn't a foul ball.

Sonic quickly made it to the home plate without any trouble. Chris approached first base and practically dove toward it. He touched the plate a split second before the first baseman caught the ball. That was too close. He felt a few scrapes on his hands, stomach, and knees from making that daring slide, but they were worth it.

He breathed a sigh of relief and stood up. He saw Sonic standing just outside the dugout. The hedgehog smiled and gave him a thumbs-up as his other friends cheered. Chris beamed in return. Not only had he redeemed himself, but they had finally surpassed Eggman's score.

The score stood at 36 to 35 - one point too many for Dr. Eggman. He rose to his feet.

"You've turned the tables on me," he mused, trying hard to suppress his anger, "and you know I can't allow that if I am to possess both these Emeralds."

He picked up a walkie-talkie and pressed the button to address his robot players.

"Activate Play #81," he ordered.

Several mechanical sounds came from the Ballios pitcher, as if several configurements were being made from within. Then its head lifted off its body via rocket engine and flew over to Sonic. Before the hedgehog could react, it latched onto its head, fastening itself with four claw-like objects.

"At least it's not neurally attached," he dryly commented. It still hurt a bit, though.

Sonic caught sight of Amy leaping out of the dugout, hammer drawn, and racing toward him. "Don't move," she instructed.

"Don't touch me!" Sonic held up his hand.

"But-"

"I think Eggman's trying to get us to forfeit. Y'know, let our guard down while he claims the Chaos Emeralds. I got this!"

With that, Sonic began to run rapidly around the stadium, trying to shake the Ballios' head loose. It proved to be very persistent. Even pulling on it didn't work.

It wasn't that Sonic didn't want Amy's help. Sure, she would easily destroy the robot, but the hammer would also make painful contact with Sonic's cranium as well.

"You can't do everything yourself!" Knuckles shouted as he too ran from the dugout toward Sonic. "Weren't you the one who coined the 'super power of teamwork' phrase?"

"Yeah!" Sonic shouted back. "You got a plan?"

"Jump as high as you can!" ordered Knuckles. "I'll knock that thing off of you!"

Sonic shuddered. He knew very well of the echidna's brute strength. He would have to try not to flinch as Knuckles' fist would fly right past his face. Once false swing and it would spell an explosive end to Sonic, assuming that was what Eggman was attempting.

At the same time, he had had worse scrapes than this, and this wasn't something he hadn't been in before.

Steeling himself, he leaped high into the air, high enough so that the presumed explosion wouldn't do as much damage. Knuckles followed suit and aimed his body toward Sonic so they were flying feet from each other. He grabbed the Ballios' head and yanked it off of Sonic's own head, causing Sonic to flinch a little, before throwing it even higher into the air. Both heroes landed on the ground just as the head exploded.

As the crowd cheered for their heroic antics, Sonic ran straight over to Eggman's dugout and rested his arm on the railing.

"I figured you'd have some kind of trick up your sleeve tonight, Eggman," he said. "Somehow I knew your robots weren't what they seemed. Does this mean you give up?"

Eggman was just about to say no when Sonic cut him off, holding up a finger.

"You sure there isn't some chicken inside that egg-shaped body of yours I don't know about?" he sassed.

Eggman yelled in exasperation, garnering a chuckles from Sonic. Any day that the egg cracked was a good day.

"This ball game was staged, as you may have figured!" the doctor revealed as he walked out of the dugout. "It was just a way for me to rub my victory in your puny faces. I've known about the cyan Chaos Emerald that was here since a few days ago, and guess who has it in their possession? Yours truly."

He called Decoe over, and they climbed into the Eggmobile. But before he left, he turned to look at Team Sonic's dugout... and Chris.

"I may not have the green Emerald that you stole, Christopher, but you may consider our grudge lifted... for now."

As he lifted into the sky, he bragged "Ivo Robotnik never quits!" The doctor was soon out of sight, and so was the second Chaos Emerald.

Chris seemed somewhat relieved that the grudge was over, but he still felt scared that the doctor was still signaling him out after this whole time.

The crowd continued their cheering, even while the same Egg Dropship from before abducted the Ballios with its tractor beam and left.

As the Mobians and Thorndykes filed out of the dugout, they saw Albert Butler walking across the diamond toward them. Amazement described the look on his face after what he had witnessed tonight.

"That was absolutely phenomenal," he said. "Tonight was the highlight of the thirty-two year's I've spent working here." He paused. "I guess I was at the right place at the right time, huh?"

Albert quickly located Tails and walked over to him.

"I apologize again for losing the Chaos Emerald, Tails," he spoke with remorse. "I understand now how much it means to you."

"It's really okay," Tails said in a tone optimistic enough to take the older man aback. "We'll come up with a plan to get it back from Dr. Eggman. It won't be in his hands for long."

"Already he's proven to be a major threat. It would be greatly appreciated if you can recover it."

Just then the group became aware that the crowd was growing quiet. Many of the group wondered why, until all eyes lay on the source: a new arrival.

Elmer Johnson.

The owner of the Dolphins was approaching them. Chuck wondered how Albert and Elmer would interact, seeing as they both had a feud.

"Hello, Elmer," Albert greeted politely.

"Albert," Elmer returned the greeting. "I've been watching this game at home, and I must say, I was more than impressed. It was a very remarkable and wonderfully-spirited game."

He glanced up at the scoreboard. "So, uh, how did you keep score?"

"I did," Chuck spoke. "Also, I imagine Dr. Robotnik did too somehow."

"He was," confirmed Sonic who had just rejoined. "I caught a homer and happened to notice a few of his robots keeping score."

Elmer nodded. "So what's been bugging me was what started this game to begin with?"

"Well, I found a Chaos Emerald here, and Eggman claimed he found it first, and basically challenged us to a game," explained Tails. "Unfortunately... he got away with the Emerald."

"My condolences. I hope you'll get it back," Elmer responded. "Thanks to your game, this stadium will continue to live in the hearts of Dolphins fans everywhere."

"Wait, so..." Albert faltered for words. "Does this mean you've changed your mind on the stadium?"

"No, I'm still moving it; we can no longer afford the upkeep here," he said.

Everyone could feel the disappointment radiating from Albert.

" _But..._ "

Albert became more alert.

"I've changed my mind concerning the turf."

Tails also looked up, hope rising in his heart.

"I know how much you love Diamond Stadium's turf. You dedicate much of your precious time tending to it, making it look the best it can. So I'm thinking of moving the turf to the new stadium, and I'd like you to be the new stadium's groundskeeper as well.

Words could not describe Albert's joy.

"Elmer... I don't know what to say... Thank you..."

Elmer couldn't help but smile.

As Albert went on to tell Elmer how much Tails loved the turf too, Chuck turned back to the others, leaving the two men to talk. At this point much of the crowd were filing out the doors.

"Well, everyone, this has been quite a night," Chuck said. "We may have lost one of the Chaos Emeralds, but we still won the game." Excitement rose in his voice once again. "I still can't believe we got to actually play a real baseball game here at Diamond Stadium!"

"That was actually kinda fun," Knuckles admitted.

"Did you hear, Sonic?" Tails was also exhilarated. "They're actually gonna move the turf!"

Sonic smiled. "Good to know things worked out in the end. And hey..." He turned to Chris. "You were way past cool tonight, Chris."

"R-Really?"

"Would I lie to a friend?"

Chris beamed. "I actually hit the ball. And here I thought I couldn't do it."

"All you gotta do is believe in yourself, and you'll find that anything is possible," Sonic said.

Cream yawned as the day's events caught up to her. Amy took her hand.

"We're gonna sleep good tonight, aren't we, Cream?" she said.

Cream nodded, and Cheese followed suit. Sonic turned to look at the night sky.

"We many have won this game 36 to 35," he stated, "but overall, the score is tied at one. Five more Emeralds still have to be found." He turned to look at his friends, both old and new. "Together, we'll track down those Emeralds, defeat Eggman, and finally get to go home. We can only prevail with the power of teamwork."

* * *

 **A/N:** And that concludes "Unfair Ball"! This was a slightly intimidating episode to rewrite, especially since I'm not a baseball nut like Grandpa Chuck. But things got smoother as I went on, which is always a good sign.

Also, hopefully my writing quality did not drop mid-chapter; I have a bad habit of not really starting the chapter until about two weeks pass, then I don't make a ton of progress until about four weeks out.

Our major changes this chapter:

 _-No mo' Bocoe! He didn't really play a role anyway._

 _-Baseballs - Now with 100% real danger!_

 _-Extended quality talk with Albert_

 _-A brand-new scene with Elmer is shown._

 _-Extended scene with Eggman_

 _-More plays are shown._

 _-More fallout due to a home invasion_

And that about does it for this chapter! If you see anyone who is OOC or any continuity errors, let me know right away. Only with your help can this be the best Sonic X rewrite there is.

Next up is "Fly Spy", and I must tell you, it's going to be a _monster_. The draft, which os normally 6k-7k words, is over 10k words, even more than "Satellite Swindle". It could be over 25k words in the end.

Until next time, everybody, Sonic Sez celebrate PewDiePie's gettime married, beating the Ender Dragon, and getting 100m subscribers in the same week!


	11. Special Forces

**A/N:** This is arguably my best chapter yet. It hasn't even been a month quite yet. Woohoo, new record!

So... That Area 51 raid was really something, wasn't it? But did you know that Sonic was already there sixteen years ago? Apparently he escaped with a living science experiment from another planet, and is said to be the first person ever to raid Area 51 and get away with it. The cameras he smashed must have been _expensive_...

Except for uploading chapters, I've largely stopped using the FFN docs and switched over to Google Docs. I've heard a lot of bad things about the FFN docs. At least Google Docs auto-saves your work. My only regret is that FFN docs de-formats all my italics, which means I have to manually scroll through my story and reformat the bold and italics. At least it keeps line breaks.

Also, I uploaded the last chapter and my recent oneshot Fall of the Ultimate Lifeform using the FFN app, which I've recently uninstalled for similar reasons.

First Sonic movie news in a long time: a Sonic movie poster showed up in Russia at a gaming convention. Sonic's Russian name is СОНИК, which looks like Cohnk. It's so close to being Chonk. Long live our chonky boi! (No offense to Russians.)

Also, instead of saying "Every hero has a genesis" or "A whole new speed of hero", the Russian tagline is "Speed is his middle name" But look at this quote from the SatAM pilot episode "Heads or Tails", as said by Sonic himself:

"I was built for speed and born for danger! Speed is my middle name and danger is my game!"

See?! It's totally a reference!

Also, this chapter ended up being smaller than I thought. My first draft ended up being over 10,000 words, but the final story, counting author's notes, is only around 19,800 words instead of over 21,000 as I originally predicted.

I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Too much, in fact. I think I did really well writing with Rouge, Topaz, and GUN. (I had a lot of fun writing Rouge's scenes.) I also ending up extending some of the tiny scenes from this episode.

 **SHAMELESS PLUG:** Speaking of Rouge and GUN, I rewrote the end of IDW Issue 19 as a oneshot, fixing some issues that people have stated with it. It's called "Fall of the Ultimate Lifeform"; check it out!

Just a heads-up: I've renamed E-13 Guardbot "Guardian" (see Chapter 1), E-14 Sneezer "Warhead", and E-70 Noizi "Siren", in order to take this story more seriously.

With that being said, let's move on to the reviews and what matters most: the story!

* * *

 _ **stardust902**_

 _great chapter as always, love how you rework and extend parts of the story to give more detail. one little thing which is only minor really is when chris identifies the game may be a trap, chuck says 'thats why we shouldn't be careful at all times'. just needs amending to should be careful, otherise keep up the good work_

 **Thanks for your kind words!**

 **I've switched over to Google Docs now, so I'm much more likely to catch mistakes before you guys. I still have to author's notes and review responses on FFN docs, though.**

 _ **SuperTailsFan0812**_

 _i really enjoyed this chapter. I love how you extended the scene where Tails and Albert were chatting, very excited for the next chapter. Keep up the fantastic work_

 **Thanks; you too! I'm loving your Bad Case of the Mobian Flu story!**

 _ **GuardianDragon98**_

 _Hahaha, you did the 4th wall break :D Wonderful. I was going through this chapter and wondering if you'd do it and I'm glad you did :)_

 **Me too. It's a shame 4Kids removed it. You know I had to re-add it. :) I've been trying to limit fourth wall breaks to Sonic, Amy, Eggman, and the Chaotix, since they did it in the anime.**

 _ **Alexandria Prime**_

 _Great chapter! Hands down! Even if I'm not very much of a fan of this episode._

 **Thanks! This episode doesn't stand out to me much either, and I think the only reason it's canon is because there's a Chaos Emerald in it. But I think I did a good job with it. :)**

 _ **kitsune**_

 _one of best chapter :D_

 **If you think that one was good, check this one out! :D**

 _ **Cyan Quartz**_

 _Pretty good, not at all 'forced'._

 **That's good to hear. I was a little concerned about that.**

 _ **D.J. Scales**_

 _Well that right there was interesting. I rarely watched Sonic X but even so you have some good thoughts._

 **If you can see through the cringey moments, Sonic X is actually a pretty decent anime. You may want to give it a watch if you're curious as to what to expect.**

 _ **Animation Adventures**_

 _As I'm not a baseball person, this review is probably going to be a bit shorter than my other comments._

 _I liked the scene expansion with Albert. Obviously the show needs to get to the point since they're on an animation budget, but since text doesn't have that limitation, you're able to expand as you'd like._

 _The tweaks to the dinner scene were nice. I remember watching the show, and thinking it's like the gang have never seen utensils before the way Ella was teaching them. I did find the bit about wondering how Bokkun got in to give them the message a bit needless, but that's just me. If it was a real criminal, then I'd wonder, but considering it's one of Eggman's robots, not that interested in finding out._

 _The additional scene with Elmer was nice. It certainly explains when people started showing up in the stands during the game. Not personally sure how moving the turf is supposed to work, but good on him for deciding to move it to the new stadium. Also, I think you meant to use 'convinced' instead of 'convicted'._

 _Alright, Rouge's original debut is up next. If she appears alone, does that mean she got separated from Team Dark? If so, I wonder where Shadow and Omega got sent in the world. Hopefully Omega has enough sense to stay out of people's sights so he doesn't scare them._

 _Until next time!_

 **That's one of the great things about fanfiction - the sky's the limit, and why stop there? I don't care for scene cuts and time skips, so I like to fill in what happens between those cuts and skips.**

 **Having been among humans, I'm pretty sure the Mobians have had experience with dinner utensils. In fact, how else would they eat in the Mobians' neck of the woods?**

 **Also, if I thought I had my doors and windows locked, then I too might be questioning how a messenger robot breaks into my house to throw baseballs at me. But who's to say any of Eggman's robots _aren't_ real criminals? :P**

 **I kinda didn't want Elmer to show up without explanation, so I added that scene. Also, it's nice filler material that will explain his presence. And since Scarlet Garcia is used a bit too much in my opinions, that was probably a good way to tone her back a bit. And thanks for 'convicting' me with that word; I'll go back and change it when I go through the chapters again.**

 **I can tell you, she will appear alone. An explanation for Shadow and Omega will be given in this chapter as well. If you're curious, Omega will still make a physical appearance in this story, but it won't be for a while. Still, I'd like to see what people will think of him.**

 _ **The Green Seer**_

 _Hello!_

 _Nearly 200k words… I'd say you totally deserve a break. Focus on planning and plotting, that's the most fun part of writing in my opinion. About the filler episodes, I don't mind if you skip them (mostly because I don't remember them anyway) but you could summarize them in a paragraph or have the characters do small talk about some worthwhile events._

 _1\. Eggman having baseball equipment at ready for his mortal enemy is not creepy at all. I find that thought as funny as it is odd. At least he compensates with actually appearing competent in this story._

 _2\. I like that Sonic picked up table etiquette fast, as uninteresting and useless as it must be for him. Small details._

 _3\. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this episode is the only episode where the emeralds make a beacon appear when they meet. I don't think it's done later on and the first time I saw this show (since it was my introduction to this franchise) I found it very weird that something like that never happened again or that it wasn't explained. I do appreciate you explaining it though._

 _4\. I like that the others point out why Eggman didn't just take the emerald while he had the chance. I thought I was going to have to mention how weird that was._

 _5\. Sonic's dignity line… that made me chuckle a bit. The fourth wall-breaking fanfiction one was a bit too on the nose._

 _6\. I enjoyed how mature Sonic and Knuckles were, like the strong silent protectors. It was nice to see Sonic being a big brother to Tails and Chris too, and he also had some funny moments._

 _Overall, this was very well written. You are definitely improving. The characters didn't overreact and the dialogue flowed very well. I don't know anything about baseball but the game was entertaining even more so rigged. It was pretty good. I have no idea what the "Fly Spy" episode was about so I'll be waiting for it._

 **Two more chapters after this one and I'll take a break. I plan on omitting Episodes 14 and 18 (I'll summarize 14 in 15 and 18 in 19), so after I write out the drafts for episodes 15, 16, 18, and 19, I'll resume writing. I will put a percentage on my profile page that indicates my progress. When I finish the episode 15 draft, it will be 25% until I return to writing the story; when I finish the episode 16 draft, it will be 50%, and so on. It may be three or four months until I return, but I promise to keep you all updated. In the meantime, I can also get back to writing Super Mario Bros: The Novelized Comic if I feel motivated enough to do so.**

 **I've tidied up your review, since it looks like FFN butchered it a little bit. I hope you don't mind.**

 **1\. It is indeed odd, especially since he's been planning it for a while. I originally had him knowing about the Emerald since the first one was discovered, but that would raise questions as you why he hasn't collected it this whole time. And as for the jerseys Eggman gave Team Sonic, well... they got to keep them.**

 **2\. Even if it's uninteresting, I love fluff and filler material. Also, I think my version is better than Tanaka saying "Kindly use your fruit knife." I mean, who even uses a fruit knife on a whole apple?!**

 **3\. Actually, a Chaos Beacon _does_ appear a second time, in the episode "Emerald Anniversary". It did a number to the film equipment, and even inadvertently made Chris' parents mad at each other. I thought it needed explanation, especially when Cream identified it as the light from a Chaos Emerald. Where had she seen it before? We need answers. And so I provided them.**

 **4\. I also like Eggman's response. Even villains need _some_ down time from being villains every once in a while. This is why he participates in the Olympics, and also why Bowser goes go-kart racing with Mario.**

 **5\. I know the fourth wall break might have been on the nose, but in the Japanese version, Sonic said that "this is an anime", and since 4Kids removed it, I wanted to bring it back.**

 **6\. I'm starting to get used to writing with Knuckles more. He's a little more difficult to write than most of the others, but I'll get plenty of opportunities to practice. I absolutely love Sonic's big brother moments, especially with Tails and Chris.**

 **Speaking of Tails and Chris, I've heard that one negative thing people have said about Chris is that he is too much like Tails sometimes, even taking his roles in some cases. Let me know if this is the case and I'll correct.**

 **Thanks for your compliments! I think you'll really like this next episode.**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: Eggman's Fortress is not responsible for any tinnitus, ringing in the ears, deafness, PTSD, death, imprisonment, roboticization, or other injuries incurred from trespassing. Lawyers are not standing by because Eggman doesn't have any._

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Station Square was home to one of the grandest museums in the western United States. Built in 1958, it was home to one of its most valuable treasures: the Fire Diamond, a sizable gem which had been discovered twenty years ago in Yellowstone National Park. It was so valuable that it was enclosed within a barrier of security lasers and extra-durable glass.

The night shift was keeping watch over the museum during the early morning hours of September 21. One of the officers down at the security room glanced up at the clock, wondering when his shift would be over. About seven minutes, he figured.

He was told to be extra alert tonight. There were news stories of a burglar who had taken priceless jewels from other local museums and jewel shops, so the museum staff thought it wise to increase the security just in case the jewel thief would show up here at the Station Square Museum.

The officer yawned. Night shifts really do a number to one's internal clock.

Just then he thought he saw a movement coming from one of the screens, now moving on to the view on another screen. It was unmistakable; there was an intruder.

Leaning closer to the screens, his eyes widened slightly in recognition.

"Guys, we got an intruder," the officer said, motioning the other two guards to the surveillance screens. They were able to get a good look at a solitary figure cartwheeling and flipping over infrared laser traps.

"Is it her?" one of the guards asked.

The first guard turned to face him. The solemn look on his face told him everything he needed to know.

"It's her."

Without hesitation, the third guard pushed a button that set off the museum's alarms and initiated lockdown throughout the building. The three guards then sprinted from the security room.

The second guard picked up his walkie-talkie.

"There's an intruder," he reported. "Last seen approaching the precious stones exhibits. Repeat: we have an intruder."

Meanwhile, said intruder was able to reach the Fire Diamond exhibit without so much as touching any of the security lasers or otherwise setting off the alarms. The bat Mobian didn't even need an infrared scope during this run. Earth technology was so predictable…

And then she saw it - the Fire Diamond. It was so large, so beautiful… and it would be absolutely _perfect_ for her ever-growing Earth jewel collection. After all, she did once claim to be entitled to all of the world's gems.

"Hello, gorgeous…" she purred.

Suddenly the alarms sounded throughout the entire museum, startling her. The thief knew she had to act fast if she were to make it out with this beauty.

She neatly executed four well-placed kicks, cutting a perfect square in the glass. Then she caught the pane before it fell, and laid it against the wall. Then came the best part…

The jewel thief snatched up the Fire Diamond and flew off. It was a great thing most Mobians wore gloves; that way people like her wouldn't leave fingerprints anywhere.

About a dozen officers ran into the room with pistols drawn and shouts of "Put your hands up!". But there were no responses to be heard from the thief.

It was a good thing the officers wore special badges that negated the effects of the security lasers. This technology was installed a few years ago, as false alarms had kept being set off when the patrolling officers kept accidentally activating them.

"Hey, I found something," one guard called, summoning the others toward him. He picked up a card-like object from inside the exhibit where the Fire Diamond used to rest.

In the dim light, which occasionally flashed red due to the alarm lights, the guard could make out a few details on the card. It depicted a somewhat seductive image of the thief, as well as the words "Thank you" in cursive font.

"This must be the thief's calling card," the guard said, "and I mean it quite literally. This same kind of card has been found at other sites the thief has visited." He turned back to the others. "We're breaking this to the authorities."

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

The next morning, Cream and Cheese were watching TV up in Chuck's lab. Chuck was in the house getting ready for lunch at the time, and Cream had entered the lab in curiosity because he had accidentally left the TV on. The local news was on, and the young bunny and her Chao friend became engrossed in the current news story. Scarlet Garcia was giving a top-of-the-hour news update.

"Last night's robbery is the latest in a string of jewel thefts plaguing Station Square over the past week," she was saying. "The Fire Diamond, which is worth twenty million dollars, has reportedly been stolen from the Station Square Museum. Police are baffled as to how the thief can escape so easily.

"Hey Cream?"

Cream and Cheese broke her concentration from the news story and saw Amy in the doorway, propping the trap door open.

"We're about to have pizza," Amy invited. "Oh, do you know if Sonic went out with Tails earlier?"

"He did," confirmed Cream, propping herself up on her beanbag. "I think they left fifteen minutes ago."

Amy nodded. "In that case, it's a good thing Ella and I made two pizzas. We made Hawaiian and-"

It was then that she saw the news headline that was still being reported.

"What's that you're watching there, Cream?" she asked as she stepped into the lab and stood next to her friend.

"The jewel thief appears to be an alien, most likely from the same planet Sonic the Hedgehog is from," continued Scarlet. "Additionally, we have confirmation that all the robberies are connected; a calling card similar to this one was left at the scene of each crime."

Said calling card appeared on the screen. Amy and Cream shared a gasp at the familiarity thereof.

"H… How did Rouge even get here?" Amy exclaimed. "She shouldn't even be here, unless she was somehow caught up in the Chaos Control blast!"

"Miss Amy, she _was_ there," Cream insisted.

Amy turned to Cream, confused. "Wait, how'd you know that?"

"Remember when Dr. Eggman was holding me captive inside his tower?"

Amy nodded.

"Well… I saw Rouge hiding. She winked at me. Maybe she knew that you were coming to save me."

"Chao-chao!" Cheese echoed.

Amy pondered this a moment. "Why was Rouge even there to begin with…?" Realization hit her. "Oh wait! She probably found out that all seven Chaos Emeralds were going to be together. She absolutely loves her treasure, and wouldn't hesitate to pass that opportunity up!"

"That really makes sense, Miss Amy!" Cream said, standing up.

Amy started back toward the door. "Come on!" she urged excitedly. "The pizza isn't going to eat itself, you know."

Cream giggled as followed her friend down the ladder and out of the lab. Cheese switched off the TV and joined them.

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

Tails and I were in the X-Tornado, scouring the city for any signs of a Chaos Emerald. So far, I hate to admit that there wasn't anything coming up. Not even the Miles Electric seemed to be helping.

This time, instead of riding the wing as I usually do, I was seated right behind Tails. He said I should probably sit with him, so I could save my energy in case we run into trouble. Besides, it could be a long search. I decided he was right, so… there I was.

Before we left, Tails asked Chris if he wanted to come along, seeing as he loves doing stuff with us. And I don't blame him - if you were once as lonely and without friends as he was, I'm sure you too would want to hang out with your friends as much as possible.

But anyway, Chris couldn't come because he had school obligations. However, we agreed to return and pick him up after school so we could look for the Emeralds together.

We had agreed not to go anywhere near Eggman's base today. At the moment, it felt like we were underprepared for an attack on the base, and besides, I would know when the opportunity arose.

As we flew on, we concluded that there was nothing in the north part of town. The Chaos Emeralds seemed harder to find, especially with the limited technology we have now compared to when we were back on Mobius. I hoped that we would find something by the end of the day, just to prove that our outings weren't pointless.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

The Oval Office was abuzz with activity. Among its many occupants were President Remerson, Vice President Adrian McMahon, Rod Stafford, Jerome Wise, and several aides, advisers, and chairmen. The President had just announced that he plans to launch an attack on Dr. Robotnik's headquarters.

"I consider him a threat to not only the safety of the city of Station Square, but to the safety and welfare of the entire world as well," he said. "He has been here for only a month, and already he has damaged the Eckstein Building in Station Square, sought to steal dangerous foreign gemstones, held several kids hostage at a school, attacked the opening ceremony of Thorndyke Resort and Spa, and even tampered with federal and international satellites."

"All of these acts in themselves are more than enough to incriminate him," Jerome pointed out. "Robotnik is a menace to America's infrastructure, as well as society as a whole."

"Mr. President, how can we defeat him if every aspect of his technology is vastly superior that our own?" Stafford raised.

"So far, we have observed his frequent use of laser weaponry, hovercrafts, miniaturized missiles, highly advanced drones, combat robots, and various other tools of destruction," one chairman spoke. "I'm even hearing rumors of 'perception filters'."

"The military has succeeded in salvaging the remains of the robot destroyed during Robotnik's first attack," reported another chairman. "After it had been brought to Area 99 and analyzed, the staff concluded that its technology is nearly impossible to replicate on their own.

"We do have one advantage over the doctor," the Vice President said optimistically. "Where he outmatches us in technology, we have him beat in combined intelligence."

"Hear, hear," lauded Jerome. "But I have a suggestion. What if we were to enlist the help of Sonic?"

The President thought for a moment. "Sonic," he repeated.

"The only individual who has been consistently successful in thwarting Dr. Robotnik's schemes is one Sonic the Hedgehog and those closely affiliated with him," explained Stafford. "It is possible that they may be our only hope."

"Perhaps," the President said, closing his eyes. "Is it possible to communicate with Sonic?"

"Of course," confirmed Stafford. "Our officials have on numerous occasions observed Sonic speaking English. He is indeed a very intelligent alien."

President Remerson stood up. "Then it's settled," he announced. "We will arrange a part for Sonic in the attack on Robotnik's headquarters."

"With all due respect," a chairman spoke up, "suppose Sonic were to refuse?"

"I wouldn't worry," the Vice President replied. "Sonic has always been around to stop the doctor thus far. We'll win either way."

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

I picked up the purple pencil and began to color the next Emerald, making sure to shade it. If I colored it in one shade of purple, it wouldn't look as good as I might have wanted it to.

Today, we had extra time in class, so Mr. Stewart had announced that our class was joining the school's art contest. This year, the theme was "Out of This World." Upon hearing the name of the theme, I knew exactly what I wanted to draw.

My picture of Earth and the seven Chaos Emeralds was coming along nicely. I had picked them because they were out of this world more than anyone could possibly imagine.

I had known about the contest since last week, which gave me time to prepare for it. I had asked Tails to tell me again what the colors of the seven Emeralds were. I had only seen two of the seven Emeralds, so I knew I could use a touch-up on what the others looked like.

So there I was, drawing the Emeralds with colored pencils. I found that they were much more effective than pens, crayons, or markers. I decided that it was best to color the blackness of space last after I had colored everything else.

As per the new usual, I shared my table with Danny, Frances, and Helen. I had grown used to being with them, and I would even say they would be my best friends if it weren't for Sonic, even though I didn't know my classmates all _that_ well yet.

It was then that Danny noticed what I was drawing.

"Hey, aren't those the gems that Sonic is trying to find?" he asked.

"Yeah," I whispered. "They're called Chaos Emeralds." I leaned closer to Danny. "There are seven of them my friends are trying to find."

Just then I came up with a brilliant idea. If I keep talking about Sonic and his other friends to my friends, why don't I just…

"Guys…" I whispered with some unbridled excitement in my tone. "Do you wanna come over to my house after school so you can get a chance to meet Sonic and his friends?"

Danny's, Frances' and Helen's eyes widened simultaneously with a shared expression of "Really?!" However, Frances looked dismayed.

"I'm sorry, Chris, I can't come today," she said regretfully. "A friend of my mom's is coming over today."

"And I need to be back home so we can fly out to see my grandma in Idaho," Helen said. "Maybe soon, though."

"You four, let's keep the chatting to a minimum and focus on your pictures, okay?" Mr. Stewart requested from the front of the class. He then got up from his seat and walked around the room, looking at the pictures the other students were making, complimenting and making notes of them.

Danny leaned forward in his seat. "I can come today. How far away is your house?"

"I think about seven minutes by bike," I answered before returning to my work.

However, Mr. Stewart stopped when he came to my picture. I looked up just in time to see his eyebrows raise in the slightest movement.

"Out of curiosity, are those the same kind of gemstones you and Sonic are collecting?" he quietly asked, fortunately making sure the other students were out of earshot. I nodded.

"Interesting," he noted. "I'm going to have to research them someday and find out why they're called 'emeralds' when not all of them are generally green."

He bent down and whispered, "A friend of mine told me there might have been a sighting of a red Chaos Emerald in an abandoned warehouse up in Silky Heights, so tell Sonic when you get home. You can get it if you hurry."

As Mr. Stewart moved on to the remaining few pictures, I couldn't help but smile. Chaos Emerald number three was practically found already!

Just then the school bell went off, which kicked off my mission to find said Chaos Emerald. I must have been the first to leap out of my seat.

Correction: there were still several classes in front of me. I was being impetuous.

"Remember to turn in your homework assignments tomorrow, and you can continue your drawings as well. Remember: the deadline is Friday, September 24."

But I barely heard him as we filed out the door. There was a newly-found Chaos Emerald on the line, and I wanted to make sure my friends and I got to it first before anyone else did.

* * *

 **TIME SKIP.**

As Danny and I entered through the gates of home, Danny looked around, needless to say awed by the sheer scale of the property.

"Your house is huge, Chris…" he said.

"I know," I replied, excitement welling up for my friend, seeing that he was about to meet my friends for the first time. "Isn't it awesome?"

"Yeah!" Danny exclaimed as we approached the front door. It opened for us, and we saw Mr. Tanaka standing there.

"Welcome home, Chris," he greeted. "I see you've brought a friend."

"Yeah," I nodded. "This is Danny from school."

But Danny didn't say anything to Tanaka; he was engrossed at the size of the foyer alone. I'm sure that for anyone else, just being here made them feel like millionaires.

Entering the foyer, I looked in the direction of the living room. "Okay, they're usually home at this time. They should be around here somewhere," I told Danny.

And my hunch was correct. I spotted Amy, Tails, Cream, and Cheese in the living room, gathered around the card table. It looked like they were playing gin rummy, a game Ella had taught them. I wasn't really surprised to see that Sonic wasn't here.

"Hi, Chris!" they all said in near-perfect unison before Amy stood up, noticing Danny.

"Who's your friend?" she asked me.

"This is Danny," I introduced my friend. As my friends then shook hands with him and introduced themselves, I began wondering if Sonic was still hunting for the Chaos Emeralds alone.

"Is Sonic out on one of his runs?" I asked.

"He is," Tails confirmed. "We didn't have any success out there, so when we came back, Sonic said he'd have a go at it alone for a while."

Danny glanced at Tails. "Chris told me about the ball game you guys were in," he started, and the Mobians nodded. "I saw some of it on TV, but I didn't see the whole thing. Did you win?"

Tails rubbed his arm, unsure of how to answer.

"...Yes and no…" he replied, which brought confusion to Danny. "Yes, we _technically_ won, but Dr. Eggman managed to get away with one of the Chaos Emeralds."

"Was _that_ what the glow was at the stadium?" Danny asked in realization.

"Yes, it was," confirmed Amy. "It seems when some of the Chaos Emeralds reunite with each other in these circumstances, they create a beacon of light like the one you saw." I noted that Amy did not mention the Master Emerald, because I don't know if Danny would understand it. Even I have a hard time wrapping my head around the whole Master Emerald thing.

And then I remembered something…

"Oh! Speaking of Emeralds," I spoke up, "my teacher told me in class that there might be a Chaos Emerald up in Silky Heights!"

I could swear that Tails', Amy's, and Cream's jaws dropped. This was like bombshell news - probably the best news any of us had heard all day.

"That makes number three!" Cream piped up, holding up three fingers.

"Two for us, if we get it before Eggman does," added Amy.

"Okay, I know what we're doing this afternoon!" Tails excitedly exclaimed as he turned toward the door. "I'm going to warm up the X-Tornado. Cream and Cheese, I'll need you two to stay at the house just in case things get too dangerous, okay?"

"Okay, Mr. Tails!" Cream agreed as she and Cheese waved. "Bye-bye!"

"Bye, Cream!" Amy and I said at almost the same time as we, Tails, and Danny headed toward the side door.

The four of us walked through the yard in the direction of the garage and the X-Tornado. It was a good thing Tails decided to leave his X-Tornado outside for days like this. We hadn't gotten a storm in a while, so there really wasn't any danger of leaving it outside, he supposed.

"I didn't think to ask this until just now," Tails began, "but do you want to come with us, Danny?"

Now Danny was able to have a good look at the X-Tornado, and I could tell that he was amazed at its sleek and unique design.

"You mean… I get to fly with you in there?" he asked with an undertone of sheer joy.

Tails chuckled. "Only if you want to."

Danny let out a whoop of joy. I guess there was just something about going on adventures with Sonic and his friends that brought indescribable joy to me, and if that joy were a disease, then it's contagious.

"Okay, Danny, you can sit in the back with Chris, and Amy's going to sit with me. Sound good?" proposed Tails, trying and failing to hide his smile.

"Sure!"

"Also, I've got some good news," he announced, walking over to a specially-constructed ladder. "I've finally had the time to make a new ladder, so everyone can have an easier time getting in."

"That's good," I commented.

Tails began to move the ladder into position next to the X-Tornado, then secured it as Danny climbed it toward the fourth seat.

"I forgot to tell you, Tails," Amy spoke. "We're going to have some extra competition from here on out; it looks like Rouge made it here as well."

Tails nodded. "This may complicate things," he said.

"Who's Rouge?" I asked.

"Rouge the Bat… she's a treasure hunter who works for the Mobian government," Amy explained as she scaled the ladder toward the second seat. "Specifically, GUN." By this point I had been told that GUN exists on Mobius as well.

I too climbed in buckled up as Tails made sure Danny was secure in the seat behind me.

"How was Rouge able to come to Earth if she wasn't in the fortress with you?" I asked a follow-up.

"It turns out she was," Amy said as Tails finished securing Danny in and flew above us to his own seat. "Cream told me she had secretly infiltrated the base. I think it might have been for the Chaos Emeralds, but I don't know for sure."

Once we were all settled in, Tails pressed the buttons that closed the hatches over us and turned on the engine. Again, it was so quiet inside.

"You okay back there, Danny?" Tails asked.

"Yup," came the reply. "You've even got an air conditioner and cup holder back here, too!"

"I thought you'd like them," Tails replied from the front. "It's a good thing I recently installed the intercom in here, so both compartments can communicate to each other. Before, you couldn't even talk to anyone in the other compartment."

Silence reigned in the craft as Tails set the coordinates. I could say this was my first _real_ trip in the X-Tornado. The time I flew into the thermosphere didn't feel like a real trip, though, and even though it was a couple of weeks ago, it still felt like a long time.

The only other time I was in the X-Tornado was when I was being brought back home from the disaster of an opening ceremony. Fortunately, that was scheduled to reopen in just over a week from now.

"It's really quiet in here, even with the engines on," Danny remarked.

"I know, right?" echoed Tails. "Okay, I'm going to take off now, so hang on!"

The plane began to taxi down the driveway. As it picked up speed, I saw the upper wings unfolding. It was still amazing that our driveway essentially turned into a runway.

Notably, we didn't lower the palm trees this time. The controller was in the garage, and besides, the X-Tornado easily cleared the trees. Tails usually stuck to the dead center of the driveway just in case, though.

"Taking off!" he announced.

The plane quickly lifted off the ground, beautifully clearing the trees on the other side of the road.

As the landing gear retracted and the lower wings extended, I turned back to face Danny. "Did you ever imagine you'd be in a plane like this?"

"No," Danny said in awe as he looked down at the scenery passing by far below us. It truly was a sight to behold, I had to admit.

We didn't say much after that. However, I could hear the chatter up front through the intercom.

"Where's Silky Heights from here?" Amy asked.

There was a pause.

"Thirty-ish miles to the southeast," Tails responded. "It's closer to Los Angeles than Station Square."

"Please hurry," Amy urged. "Rouge may have gotten there already!"

"I'm doing my best," Tails said. "Chris, did your teacher say where in Silky Heights the Emerald was located?"

I thought for a moment. Apparently it wasn't as fresh in my memory as I thought, given all the other classes between then and now."

"I think he said a warehouse somewhere," I recalled. "Where in Silky Heights, I don't know."

"Okay," said Tails. "Here's hoping the scanners will pick it up, just like it did over Diamond Stadium."

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

It was about two in the afternoon when Rouge the Bat landed on the grounds in the vicinity of an abandoned warehouse. She figured she had about two hours to kill before the boy Sonic had befriended would raise the alarm about the Chaos Emerald said to be there.

It didn't take the bat very long to piece together that Sonic was staying at a mansion where the boy lived. During her time here thus far, she had caught a few glimpses of him. Furthermore… Sonic seemed to be secretly following him to school sometimes… but why?

So one day, she decided to go on a little interception mission. She planned to check in on the boy at school - and good thing she did. As a bat, her excellent hearing allowed her to listen in on a conversation on the other side of the school's exterior wall. The boy's teacher was telling him something about a Chaos Emerald in an abandoned warehouse in Silky Heights.

She had been worried that the Chaos Emeralds didn't make it here until she caught word of the green Emerald surfacing in midtown Station Square. She was too far away to claim it, so she decided to leave it to Sonic. Additionally, she was present at Diamond Stadium to watch most of the ball game that was going on. It was most unusual, to be honest.

As Rouge watched the boy's teacher walk back to his desk, she decided to wing it. There seemed to be something different about that man… He wasn't what he seemed… In fact, Rouge could swear she was picking up familiar vibes from him.

Having been on this world - Earth, was it? - for over four weeks now, Rouge had gotten a pretty good idea of her surroundings. She knew by heart where Silky Heights was located, but it still took her a few hours to finally find the warehouse. The boy's teacher should have been more descriptive of its location.

Nevertheless, when Rouge found an old, decaying building, she was sure she had reached her destination. There was still a sign that pointed her in its direction, even years after the building's closure. So she repositioned it so that no one else could follow her.

When she _did_ find the Emerald, she planned to hold on to it, at least until all of the others were found. She didn't have the desire to hoard them for herself and end up keeping everyone here. These days, she wasn't as much of a jewel thief, but she felt her old habits slipping back in when she learned of all the different kinds of jewels that were in store here on Earth.

Now, Rouge was advancing toward the warehouse. A sign said it was on private property, though that didn't deter her one bit. Looking around, she saw that the place had been abandoned for quite some time. The grass was overgrown, there was graffiti everywhere, and there was even a broken window - this was her way in, she decided.

She braced herself, flapped her wings, and expertly flew through the window. Not a single shard of exposed glass scraped her fur or wings.

How did Rouge get here?

The fateful day she was sent here was one of her off days with GUN. Being the spy she was, it didn't take her very long to catch word of Cream's capture, the ransom, and the plan to rescue her.

Shadow and Omega couldn't be bothered to help; they had their own things to do. She really missed them, and she didn't know if she would see them again, as she knew as a fact that they were not present when Chaos Control occurred.

Knowing all the secret entrances to Eggman's fortress, Rouge was able to sneak inside without being detected by the surveillance or any robots. Even though security was heightened that night, she didn't let that stop her from getting to the command center.

Rouge used the relatively unguarded ventilation system to access the command center, and she found a perch where she could overlook the action. She was able to spot Cream in a heartbeat. It didn't take overly long for Cream to find out she was there, and, to confirm that help was on the way, she put a finger to her lips and gave a secret wink. Cream seemed confused at first, but returned the wink.

Rouge wondered if that was a mistake, as Bokkun seemed suspicious of the cryptic activity. Rouge, however, knew the courier robot had a little something going on with Cream. Young love was always precious. If she wanted him to do something, she knew exactly what she would do. A little blackmail wouldn't hurt anybody, she figured.

Relief spread through Rouge when she saw Sonic bursting the wall. His friends followed moments later, and the inevitable fight ensued. She would have joined in as well, but couldn't find an opportunity. Besides, she wasn't really able to obtain any of the Chaos Emeralds without detection. And she couldn't escape in time to avoid the phenomenal Chaos Control explosion that occurred moments later.

Rouge shook her head to clear her mind. She was getting distracted again. She was on a mission, and she wouldn't back down, especially when a Chaos Emerald was involved.

She looked around the spacious room, taking occasional glances through her Jewel Scope she always carried with her, to no avail.

"Where are you, my pretty…?" she purred to herself. She promised herself that she would do anything to get the Chaos Emeralds, not just for her own pleasure, but to keep out of the hands of Dr. Eggman, at least until it was time to return to Mobius. Rouge never did truly consider Eggman a real villain; to her, he was just a misshapen, misunderstood individual. She had worked both with him and against him various times before.

Her sixth sense began to kick in. Perhaps she wasn't alone in this old, dark building. Still, she decided to keep her wits about her and continue on with the search. When she was done, she planned to kick back and relax-

That glow.

That warm, familiar glow.

Rouge looked down over the edge of the catwalk she was crossing to see a glint of light that caught her eye. Could it be…?

She flapped her wings and lifted herself down over the ledge and onto the ground below. But she was dismayed when she saw that the object was not a Chaos Emerald, but a shiny red glass ball slightly smaller than an Emerald.

She had been clearly informed that there was a Chaos Emerald here. Had she been tricked?

Suddenly several cries of "Don't move!", "On the ground!" and "Hands behind your back!" filled her ears. There was only one organization that acted this aggressively back home. Nevertheless, the Mobian bat complied.

A female agent with short, dark blonde hair stepped forward from the group of soldiers behind Rouge.

"So… I take it you're the one behind the recent string of jewel thefts around here," she identified.

Rouge smirked from the floor. "Guilty as charged."

"Stop acting so flippant!" the agent demanded. "Don't you realize you are in the custody of the Guardian Units of Nations?"

Rouge was taken aback. She turned her head to face the group.

"Y-You're really GUN…" she stuttered. "No… No wonder your tactical gear looks so… familiar…"

Now it was the agent's turn to be taken by surprise. In fact, is was a mixture of both shock and slight anger.

"How do you know us?" she asked curtly.

Rouge debated how to answer than question.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Rouge stated.

"Hit me," the agent dared, before pausing a moment. A grimace crossed her face. "...Never mind; we'll do this at HQ. Stand up."

Rouge rose to her feet, glad to be off the dirty floor, which was clearly not good for her fur. The female agent then proceeded to handcuff Rouge's arm to her own to prevent any means of escape. Rouge was mildly surprised at the agent's strength. Then again, why should she be? GUN is naturally a tough organization. However, Rouge knew that they hadn't seen tough until they met her.

"Pretty tough for an old lady, I gotta say," Rouge wisecracked. This set off the agent.

"Watch your mouth," she demanded. "You're lucky I didn't slap you just now."

"Stand down, Topaz," the GUN captain instructed. Even in the darkness of the warehouse, Rouge could tell by the captain's rank badge that he was indeed a GUN captain.

To Rouge, he said. "I need your name."

"Rouge the Bat," she recited without missing a beat.

The captain nodded. "You've fallen for a trap that we set for Sonic the Hedgehog."

Rouge's eyes widened. "Really?" she said with intrigue. "But I don't think you can ever catch Big Blue anyway. By the way, what _do_ you want with him?"

"That's classified information," the captain responded. Oh well. Worth a shot. "Come with us quietly. We will be watching you."

As the agent named Topaz led Rouge onward with the rest of the GUN troop, Rouge had absolutely no fear at the prospect of being their prisoner. In fact, she believed she had a pretty good chance at even joining the ranks of this world's GUN.

* * *

 **TIME SKIP.**

Rouge was now sitting quietly in the office of the Station Square GUN Commissioner's office. She was under heavy surveillance, so escape was nearly impossible - not that she wanted to, of course. The drive here in the back of a GUN mobile headquarters was shorter than she expected. Maybe it was because the headquarters was located on the southern outskirts of the city.

So here she was, sitting amongst nine guards. Under the captain's orders, she was to stay here until the commissioner arrived. How soon that would be was as good as guess as anybody's.

However, the stone silence in that stuffy office was getting deafening.

"Hey, you got any coffee around here?" Rouge dared to ask.

"You have the right to remain silent," the guard closest to Rouge stated.

Rouge smirked in reply. She had a way of getting her way sometimes. After all, she wasn't part of Mobius' GUN for nothing. She knew that, as soon as the opportunity presented itself, she could get what she wanted.

Just then the female agent, the one the captain addressed as Topaz, entered the room. At that angle, she reminded Rouge of someone she used to work with, down to the appearance.

"Commissioner James Perrault will be here soon to speak with you, Rouge," she announced, before leaning toward Rouge's face. "Don't give him a hard time."

Rouge was completely unfazed. It wasn't like she hasn't dealt with harsh superiors before.

"While you're here," Rouge stopped Topaz as she was about to leave the room, "could you get me some coffee? I've been on my feet all day and could stand to down a little caffeine."

Topaz turned back to Rouge from the doorway. "You're a GUN _prisoner_ ," she emphasized. "You have no right to just simply demand whatever you want from us."

"Isn't that a little harsh?" Rouge answered back in mock hurt.

"Get her a coffee, Topaz," the captain requested. It seemed like he too didn't feel like putting up with Rouge's ease.

"Easy on the caffeine, though," Rouge butted in, "and make it dark."

Grudgingly saluting to her captain, Topaz stepped out of the room to get her coffee. Just like that, Rouge was already entitled to GUN's coffee.

She was lucky to be a bat, for she could hear Topaz mutter under her breath, "She's going to drive me up a wall. Thinks she's all that." Rouge couldn't help but smirk.

Ever since the days in which Sonic went to recover the Lost Hex and battle the Deadly Six, Mobius' GUN had been recruiting more and more Mobians, mostly because Commander Abraham Tower wanted "more people like Rouge and Shadow". They proved to be a vital asset during the Phantom War, as they were once able to storm a heavily fortified outpost and drive one of Dr. Eggman's Egg Bosses into custody.

Not long afterward, Topaz entered the room with a steaming hot cup of coffee.

"Your Majesty's brew," she muttered as she handed the cup to the bat.

"So they call you Topaz, don't they?" Rouge asked. Topaz raised an eyebrow, wondering what the alien was getting at. "Did you know that topazes have a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale? That means they can only be scratched by corundums and diamonds."

Topaz shook her head. "You're quite the smart-alec, aren't you…" she dryly commented.

Just then all the guards stood to attention as Commissioner Perrault entered the office. Topaz snapped to attention a little late, though, as she was distracted with Rouge.

Perrault seemed very much like Commander Tower back home, but was slightly shorter and had a softer face.

"Westwood, Topaz, thank you for waiting," he said as he took his seat behind the desk. Rouge turned her own seat to face the commissioner.

"So you're Rouge the Bat, aren't you," he stated. Rouge waved slightly.

"That's little old me," she answered, earning her a scowl from Topaz. She was a real piece of work in return.

"I believe you're already acquainted with Sergeant Topaz and Captain Eric Westwood of GUN Division Alpha," Perrault continued.

So she was a _sergeant_ … That would explain why she's a bit rough around the edges… Not to mention she was a higher-up.

"Anyway, it strikes me that you seem very laid-back in spite of the situation you are in. In fact, I'm sure you already know the authorities have a warrant for your arrest."

Rouge nodded, taking a sip from her coffee. That really hit the spot.

"Additionally, you've raised an interesting question earlier. You claim to have… somehow… worked with us before. How, though? How do you know us?"

Rouge cleared her throat. "Believe it or not, my world, which is a planet called Mobius, as in the Moebius strip, has its own version of Station Square and GUN, and I work for GUN there - or used to before I came here, I mean."

Perrault took a moment to mull this information over and let it sink in.

"Very confusing," he said at last, "but interesting." He then shifted gears in the conversation. "Moving on; judging by all the security footage we studied, we know what you are capable of, and, in fact, we would like to make a deal with you."

Rouge perked up. This could be her big moment.

"We will make arrangements to grant you immunity from your crimes in exchange for your official service for GUN. Do you agree."

"I agree," Rouge calmly answered. But she was anything but calm on the inside. Secretly, she was exhilarated, but she dared not show it.

Being with GUN would legally get her close to any Chaos Emerald, and, given the opportunity, she could even claim it. She planned to hold on to it until it was time to return home. She knew Eggman has at least one from the baseball game. She would have to find out for herself if he managed to secretly acquire any others.

"There is one condition, though."

Rats. Too good to be true.

"You must be willing to answer any and all questions you are asked."

"I am," Rouge nodded.

Perrault leaned across the desk and extended his hand toward Rouge, which she shook.

"You are now an unofficial recruit, Rouge; however, you will still have to go through training," he said. "Even though you may have been a highly-trained agent back on your world, you still need to prove yourself to us."

That was a small price to pay for her services with GUN; it wasn't anything she hadn't done before.

Perrault rose to his feet and moved over to the front of the desk.

"Normally I don't do this," he said, "but we already have a mission prepared for you that we will arrange immediately."

Rouge looked up at the commissioner expectantly.

"You are to go with Sergeant Topaz and Captain Westwood to Dr. Robotnik's headquarters on Santa Maria Island."

Rouge could sense Topaz cursing inwardly behind her. She must really hold a grudge with her. It must have been because Rouge was calm and collected, as well as pushy with her - not the kind of teammates Topaz preferred to work with, Rouge gathered.

"This mission has been in the planning stages for quite some time," Perrault continued, "but the reconnaissance agents stationed on the island have reportedly detected an energy shield surrounding the main tower. This is why we have not launched an attack the whole time Robotnik was here." He paused to let those words soak in. "However, that is going to change today. Engineers have developed a device they are sue will penetrate the shield, so this mission will be as good a time as any."

He waved everyone toward the door. "You are all dismissed. Report for briefing in twenty minutes."

As everyone else filed out of the room, Rouge turned back to Perrault. "Does this mean I can't keep the jewels I stole?" she asked with some dismay.

"That's right; you will need to return the jewels, but we will make sure the authorities do not press charges. Now off you go."

As Rouge followed her new comrades out of the office, Rouge was inwardly disappointed that all her hard work had to be undone. On the bright side, though, her kleptomania was able to land her in GUN. Funny how things work that way.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

The internal clock in my compartment in the X-Tornado read 6:52. Three hours… that's a long time to be sitting in a vehicle. I stifled a yawn, and it seemed Tails heard me.

"I'm sorry, guys…" he said. "I had no idea we'd be out this long…"

"Hey Tails," Amy spoke up, "could you land somewhere so we can stretch and the kids can use the bathroom?"

"Sure," Tails said. "I kinda need to stretch too."

That's when I realized just how much I needed the bathroom. I hadn't gone since school was out. Hopefully Tails could land us near a gas station or fast food place so we could relieve ourselves.

We began to descend toward a grassy area flanked by a few trees. The sun was setting, but there was still plenty of light left for us to see where we were landing.

We made a beautiful three-point landing and slowed to stop on the smooth grassy lot. It was more than likely that we were seen landing, but there wasn't really time to care about small things like that. What _did_ matter, though, is that there was a Subway nearby.

After Tails helped me and Danny down (the ladder would have come in handy about now), we made our way over to the subway and walked inside en route to the bathrooms. Admittedly, I was pretty hungry. As much as I wanted one of their subs (and I knew Danny did too), I didn't have any money, nor did we have any adults with us. And I sure couldn't bring Tails and Amy in here.

Both restrooms were vacant, and it only took us a minute to do our business and walk out. We made our way up the hill and through the trees back toward where the X-Tornado had landed. There we saw Tails and Amy looking through one of the X-Tornado's external compartments. At a closer look, I saw that it was filled with several small bags of Lays chips, bottled water, and candy bars.

"I didn't know you carried snacks in the plane," I marveled.

"Oh, you're back," said Tails, just now noticing me. "Yeah, this was Cream's idea in case we ever went on longer flights. This will be our supper break for now, as we can't really abandon the Emerald. Literally anyone can claim it in our absence."

"I understand," I nodded.

"We'll eat again when we get home," Amy added.

We selected our snacks and some water and began our snack. I chose the original Lays, while Danny picked the cool ranch flavor.

"What I don't understand is how my scanners haven't picked up the Chaos Emerald yet," Tails mentioned after a few moments. "I mean, I'm pretty sure I've scanned the whole area by now."

Amy turned to Danny and me. "Are you absolutely sure your teacher told you there would be a Chaos Emerald in a warehouse here in Silky Heights?" she asked in a somewhat pointed manner.

Danny was slightly taken aback. "Y-Yes," he answered, "but Mr. Stewart never said what kind of warehouse."

"And Sonic is still searching?" I asked.

"I haven't seen him since half an hour ago, so I don't know," Tails recalled. "I don't think he would; he's not one to give up so easily."

Amy finished her bag of chips and set it aside. "Chris, I think you should text home to let your family know you're out, she said. "You know we don't want them worrying about you."

"You're right," I said, pulling my phone from my pocket.

I started to text Grandpa, telling him we're searching for a Chaos Emerald, but we're running late, and the search is harder than we thought. It was kind of difficult to text with the chips' grease on my fingers. Oh well, I could always clean the screen later.

While I was texting, Danny asked, "Have we really covered all the ground here yet?"

"For the most part," Tails answered before taking a sip from his water bottle. "Silky Heights is a small region, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if there are still a few stones left unturned. For all we know, the warehouse is just outside the region.

"Hey Danny, maybe you should text your folks too," I recommended once I sent the text.

"I can't; I didn't bring my phone," he said. I didn't have Danny's number (yet), so I couldn't text them myself.

A minute later, my phone pinged with a text from Grandpa. Even though he was born way before the Millennials and Generation Z, he was still able to get their lingo, and used it whenever he could. He was a kid at heart sometimes. But with other members of the family, such as myself, he used plain English.

" _Don't let anyone see you, and be quick; Cream is getting concerned,_ " I read.

"It's not like we can just give up on the search," Amy said, hands on hips. "Like Tails said, anyone can claim the Emerald, especially Eggman. After all, he does the technology to detect them quickly."

"So do we," added Tails, "but the Emerald should glow if there's another Emerald nearby. That makes me kinda suspicious."

It didn't take us much longer for us to finish our snacks and water.

"Okay, are we ready to get back in the air?" Tails asked.

"Is it okay if I can bring my chips into the plane?" asked Danny.

Tails shook his head. "I'd rather you not; I don't really want any crumbs on the floor."

"Oh, okay," Danny said. "Where can we put our wrappers?"

"Just put them in the bin with the rest of the snacks." He gestured to the bin. "I'll toss the garbage when we get back home."

After we put our trash in the bin, Tails lifted me, Danny, and Amy back into our seats.

"I'm formulating a plan to maybe add some retractable steps. That way we can get in the X-Tornado easier when we're away from home."

A few minutes later, Tails started the engines, and we were soon airborne once again.

"Tails, when should be a good time to call it a night?" Amy asked from up front.

"How about nine?" the fox suggested. "If we don't find anything in the greater region by then, we'll drop off Chris and Danny at Chris' place and continue the search ourselves for just a little while longer."

"Sounds like a plan," Amy agreed.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

It was now one in the morning. Rouge was in the back of a small military transport jet with Topaz, Captain Westwood, and two other officers. Everyone was equipped with parachutes, even Rouge. Good thing Rouge got some caffeine in her when she did. This was going to be a long night…

Rouge took another look at the device fastened to her wrist. It was under Westwood's orders that this device be attached to her before departing. She was told that it was a tracking device, and that it would alert her new superiors should an escape attempt be made. A second warning would come in the form of a knockout pulse. This meant that the device ensured her usefulness to GUN.

"Is this _really_ necessary?" Rouge deadpanned.

"Like I said," Weswood said from across the aisle, "we still don't have a legitimate reason to trust you, even if you claim to be affiliated with a GUN branch on whatever planet you're from."

"What do you mean?" asked Rouge. "Does the security footage you reviewed not do me justice?"

Westwood was having none of it. "Mind you, this is not the GUN branch you are used to."

"Out of curiosity, Rouge," Topaz spoke from next to said bat, "does your version of GUN have bands like the one you're wearing?" Topaz seemed to have calmed down quite a bit since the briefing.

"Yes, they do," Rouge answered, "but they can double as explosive devices." Her eyes widened slightly in realization. "Don't tell me yours do too."

"You're out of luck," Westwood stated. "We'll only use it as a last resort unless you comply."

Rouge was a tad annoyed. "So you basically strapped a bomb to me knowing I've proven myself useful to my branch of GUN for over ten years. Besides, this looks a bit too gaudy to be a real bomb. In fact," she smirked, nudging Topaz, "it looks like something a little old lady might wear."

The last of Topaz's sanity departed her as she rose to her feet. "Listen, if you don't shut up about the old lady thing, so help me I'm going to dump you out of this-"

"Both of you, enough," demanded Westwood, holding a hand up. "Rouge, you are not going to jeopardize the mission, and Topaz, you're going to have to learn to cooperate with our newest recruit."

"I was only teasing; can't you guys take a joke?" Rouge muttered under her breath."

"Approaching drop point in thirty," came the pilot's voice over the intercom.

"All right, attention, everyone," Westwood called. "The first thing we do once we land is rendezvous with the reconnaissance party and search for an entrance to the place. Keep your eyes peeled; a cursory search hasn't revealed a visible door. Remember the mission: locate and deactivate the fortress' generator."

"Assuming you and Robotnik are from the same planet, Rouge, how well do you know about his fortress?" Topaz asked.

"Well enough to know he's got more than a few flaws in his security," Rouge said. "But GUN - _my_ GUN - never sent me to the fortress; my discoveries were on solo missions."

"We have reached the drop point," the pilot announced.

Westwood the open the sliding door. "Let's go," he said, ushering Topaz, Rouge, and the two soldiers forward. All five of them leaped from the craft.

On their way down, they activated their parachutes. Rouge looked down at the island. While dark, it was illuminated by some lights coming from the main fortress. It was a pretty eerie sight.

She was mildly surprised that there weren't any patrol units in sight anywhere on the island. There was no way this mission could be _this_ easy…

About a minute later, the infiltration party touched down on the beach of Santa Rosa Island.

Rouge cast her parachute aside. "I totally didn't need that," she remarked. "I'm a bat. I can fly."

"It's GUN protocol," snapped Topaz. "You're _supposed_ to wear a parachute."

"Keep your voices down," warned Westwood. "There could be sentries out there. Now let's go."

He quietly led his group in the direction the reconnaissance party was in. A minute later, they met up with the four soldiers gathered at their camp.

"Good to see you made it, Captain," one of the reconnaissance men said, rising from his perch and saluting once Westwood's party walked into the area.

"Is there anything new to report?" Westwood inquired.

"Nothing new since the dropship," came the reply.

Rouge perked up. "Dropship?"

Only then did the surveillance officer notice Rouge, and was taken aback at how she wasn't exactly… human. He quickly regained his composure, though.

"We observed a dropship leaving the base about five nights ago. When it returned a few hours later, the doctor was accompanying it, and we detected a strong energy signature with them."

Rouge nodded in understanding. Westwood took notice and turned to her.

"Do you know what the energy signature was?" he asked pointedly.

"A Chaos Emerald," Rouge responded without hesitation.

"Chaos Emerald," repeated Topaz. "You're gonna have to be a bit more specific on that."

"Okay, so you know the gemstone disrupting machinery in town last month?" Rouge asked. Topaz and Westwood nodded. "That's a Chaos Emerald. There are seven of them in total."

"Everything seems to come in sevens, I see..." mused Topaz.

"Pardon my asking, but who is she?" the officer asked.

"This is Rouge the Bat," Westwood answered, motioning to the Mobian. "She's from the same world as Sonic, and she's our accomplice as well as our guide."

"Guide?" sassed Rouge. "For your 'guide', you sure are keeping me on a short leash. A girl needs room to breathe, you know?"

"Be quiet," ordered Westwood. To the agents pre-stationed on the island, he asked, "Are there any sentries out there tonight?"

"No, sir," the officer reported.

"Give us a heads-up in case there are."

"Will do."

Over the next two minutes, Westwood team began to take up positions outside the base in inconspicuous spots in the bushes, so they could spy on it easily.

Topaz lowered her night-vision binoculars. "There isn't a single patrol unit in sight," she reported. "Something's up."

Westwood mumbled his agreement. This was going to be harder than they thought…

Topaz pulled out another device, a round object with a flat plane, not unlike a clothes iron, and inched her arm toward the fortress with the device in hand. Once her hand with the device went out far enough, it stopped when it pressed against something invisible in midair. Upon contact, that section of the force field lit up in a brilliant shade of green, and a large hole appeared around the section where the device was. The hole was large enough for someone to walk through, which is exactly what the infiltration team did.

Once inside, Westwood took the binoculars from Topaz and scanned around the entire perimeter of the base.

"I'm not seeing an entry point anywhere," he mumbled. "I mean, there's _literally_ no way in."

"Who says our way in has to be a door?"

All heads turned to Rouge as she bolted toward the fortress wall. Westwood reached for the controller to stun the bat.

"Wait!" Topaz halted the captain. "Let's see what she's going to do first."

Rouge spent a few moments scanning the walls, as if searching for a secret entrance. She then stopped, seeming satisfied, and Screw Kicked a certain part of the wall, creating a hole large enough for the group to walk inside.

"You're welcome," she nodded to the others before stepping inside.

As the rest of the GUN patrol followed Rouge inside the dark room of the base, Rouge thought to herself that maybe she could have been a little quieter.

"Wow," was all Topaz could mutter as she entered last.

The room the GUN patrol was gathered in was dark and stuffy, with the moon being the only light source.

"This is a storage room Eggman doesn't use all that much," Rouge said. Topaz gave her a quizzical look. "You wonder how I know, hon? I've been snooping around the base long enough to know which rooms can be accessed from the outside."

Topaz looked mildly surprised at the nickname Rouge gave her, but quickly regained her composure.

"I'm glad you found us an entry point, but you can't run ahead of us," she scolded.

"I know," replied Rouge, "but without me, Eggman would surely know you're here by now. If you want to be sneaky, then you're talking to the right girl."

Westwood pulled Topaz aside. "Rouge is acting as if she knows exactly what to expect," he whispered.

"Still," Topaz responded, "we should keep an eye on her."

While they were conversing, Rouge glanced around the closet and the various purple uniforms that were hanging on a clothes rack.

" _That_ must have been exciting," she muttered.

"What are you talking about?" Topaz asked.

"Listen, about the second Chaos Emerald that came here a few days ago?" Rouge asked rhetorically. "Eggman 'won' that at a baseball game. You know anything about this?"

Topaz nodded. "Yeah, who doesn't?"

Rouge turned to the closet door and made a move for it, but Westwood grabbed her arm.

"Look, do you want me to help you or not?" Rouge asked with some frustration.

"What part of 'stay with us' do you not understand?" Westwood hissed.

"Unlike you, I know my way around this place, and besides, I can get to the Chaos Emerald faster on my own."

Whoops; let the cat out of the bag.

"Let me remind you again; we're here to find the generator, not some fancy gem," Westwood explained.

"Well, what _you_ don't understand is that Eggman plans to use all seven of those 'fancy gems' to literally conquer the world," retorted Rouge, struggling to keep her voice down.

But Westwood wouldn't give in. "Simply taking it from him won't ultimately defeat him; only stall him. We've seen what he's done. He's still a threat even without any of these Emeralds. From now on, you're to do as I say."

"Fine," shrugged Rouge, "but don't come crying to me should your operation go wrong."

"Rouge, this is exactly why we needed you," Topaz jumped in. " _Because_ you know this base so well. All you have to do is cooperate, okay?" To Westwood, she said, "Should we proceed, Captain?"

"Let me get my facility mapper out first," he said while pulling out a tablet-like device. While he booted it up, Topaz turned back to Rouge.

"Believe me, I used to be as headstrong as you," she said quietly. "But with discipline and patience, I managed to rise to the rank of sergeant. Just cooperate, and you'll be well-respected, okay?" Rouge nodded.

It wasn't like Rouge had never been part of GUN before, but it seemed that, while things seemed the same with Earth's GUN, they were a bit different. In fact, they seemed to be the marines of the FBI and National Guard. They were much like the United States Marines, but were more utilitarian.

"Finished," Westwood announced a minute later. "We may proceed."

"Finally," muttered Rouge under her breath.

Westwood carefully opened the door, and the five agents looked around outside. It was well-lit, but there were absolutely no robots in sight.

"This must be Eggman's mandatory maintenance shift," surmised Rouge. "This is our lucky day…"

"So _that's_ why we haven't seen a single robot the whole time we've been here?" Topaz asked as the group gingerly stepped out of the closet. "Not even a sentry..."

"Well, the thing is, the doctor is overconfident in his force field. But that doesn't mean we should let our guard down." Rouge glanced up at the surveillance cameras. "He's got surveillance, but he's not doing anything. Maybe he didn't even expect us to come tonight."

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

It was now almost nine - almost two hours had passed since we took our break. It was almost time to head home… finally.

For the past hour and a half, Danny and I had been playing Angry Birds on my phone back and forth. However, Danny wasn't as keen on playing while flying like I was, and he had to stop after a while.

So now I was absorbed in the game, trying to beat one of the harder levels. My battery life was around 40%, but I wouldn't be out that much longer. Just then I caught part of the conversation up front.

"I see Sonic signaling to us," Tails was saying.

"Does that mean he found the warehouse?" Amy asked.

"Only one way to find out." In a slightly louder tone, he said, "Okay, guys, I think Sonic found the warehouse."

Down below, we could barely make out the dilapidated warehouse in the dark. It had a parking lot, but it was small and empty.

"Is this the place?" Tails called.

Danny sat up, having dozed off during the tranquil flight.

"Based on Mr. Stewart's description, yes," he said in a tired tone.

Over the next two minutes, we descended toward the abandoned parking lot. Granted, it was quite a bumpy landing, as the pavement had many cracks.

I yawned. As much as I wanted to go home, this was an important mission. I didn't want to chicken out of their cause.

Once we stopped, both canopies opened, and Tails helped me and Danny down. Amy was able to get down on her own, as apparently Mobians have much more agility than humans. Sonic walked up to us.

"Well, it may have taken us about six hours tops, but I figured this is the place," he said.

"It should be," I added.

"I would have found it sooner," Sonic continued, "but apparently the sign that was supposed to guide us to the factory was pointing the wrong way, which led me on a two-hour detour. That being said, why don't we have a peek inside, see if the Emerald's still there?"

So the five of us began out walk across the parking lot toward the dark warehouse.

"Sonic?" I began.

"Hm?"

"How did you know about the warehouse? I don't think we told you about it."

"Tails left a note for me," he explained.

Sonic was pretty quiet after that. He seemed to have something on his mind… or something.

"This place gives me the creeps," Amy shivered, "and we haven't even gone in yet."

"We're only here for the Chaos Emerald and then we'll be right back out," Tails assured.

Taking deep breaths, we entered the warehouse. Indeed, it was creepy inside. There were a few broken windows, abandoned appliances, and even cobwebs; not to mention it was chilly inside.

The five friends looked in various places - under tables, inside cabinets - but there was no sign of a glow anywhere.

"Hey," Sonic called. "What color is the Emerald?"

"Red," Danny and I said at the same time.

We continued our search, splitting up, but we didn't walk too far away from each other. It didn't help that Danny and I were really tired from being out all day. At the same time, I felt safe in my friends' company. There really were unlike any other friend anyone can ever have.

"So far I'm getting a big fat zero…" Sonic muttered.

"It would be helpful if we had a light with us," I said. It was just dark enough so that we couldn't easily make out some things.

"We could _technically_ use the Miles Electric' screen," opted Tails, "but it's too large to effectively serve as a flashlight."

If I thought _I_ was tired, Danny seemed to be even more tired than I was. He had a hard time keeping his eyes open long enough to avoid nearly walking into a load-bearing pole. Amy stopped him in time, though.

"I know you're tired, Danny, but could you at least stay awake enough to help us search for the Emerald?"

"I'll… I'll try," he said, stifling a yawn.

"I found some stairs, guys," Tails called from across the room. Finally, something to break the monotony of tools, tables, and cabinets, and other warehouse stuff. Plus, this room was a bit musty.

"Good work," said Sonic, walking across the room to his brother. "I'll go first to make sure they're safe."

Step by step, he cautiously descended the stairs. Some of the steps creaked as he went, but he was able to make it to the bottom without any trouble.

"All clear," he called to us, flashing a thumbs-up.

The rest of us headed toward Sonic and Tails. Exhaustion got to us even more than what we already had, and Danny practically couldn't see, so Tails and Amy partially guided us down the stairs.

"You're not the only ones tired, guys," whispered Tails, "but we'll find the Emerald before you know it."

"Yup," Sonic said. "We're all gonna sleep good tonight."

Once we reached the bottom, I looked around. There was more of the same environment as upstairs, but there was broken glass on the floor in front of us. "Watch out for the glass," Sonic cautioned as we bypassed it, making sure not to step on any of it, as we passed in front of the window from which the glass originated.

"Just how old is this place?" Amy wondered, looking around.

Tails ducked under a cobweb. "I don't know, but it's old enough to be rotting."

Chris glanced at a part of the wall that had been spraypainted. This warehouse had been vandalized as well. It was strange how no one was doing anything about it so far. No one was buying the property, no one was tearing down the building or fixing it up so it would shine once again.

Shine…

My gaze rested on a shiny red object on a nearby shelf. Its glow was unmistakable.

"I think I found it!" I called.

Like moths to a flame, the others hurried over and gathered around me and the Emerald… or so I thought it was. Sonic got there first and picked it up.

"It's only a glass ball," he announced before setting it back on the shelf.

Tails looked up in dismay. "Wait, does this mean…?"

Sonic nodded. "We've been duped."

Amy started to get worked up. "Who in the world would feed us false information?" she ranted. "Chris, Danny, are you sure Mr. Stewart was telling you the truth?"

"I don't know," I responded. "I mean, I'm pretty sure this is the warehouse we're supposed to be at. Unless the person who told Mr. Stewart got the information wrong…"

Amy pondered this. "That's a very likely possibility," she said. "Either that, or someone already got the Emerald and left that ball in its place."

Sonic nodded. "That sounds like a better probability. To me, Mr. Stewart doesn't sound like the kind of guy who would set you kids up." He glanced back at the glass ball. "This was deliberate."

"There's something else to consider here," Tails piped up. "Sonic, you said someone moved the sign leading here. Who could have done that?"

"Maybe someone else wants the Emerald," I guessed. "It could be Eggman, or maybe that other person you said to watch out for besides Eggman…" I had completely forgotten the name, and my friends seemed confused at who I was talking about for a moment.

At last Tails thought of an answer. "You mean Rouge?" he prompted.

"Did you say Rouge?" Sonic repeated, clearly surprised.

Amy nodded. "Cream and I saw a story on her on the news this morning," she explained. "It seems she has somewhat gone back to her old ways."

Sonic shook his head slightly. "Rouge shouldn't even be here, unless she was somehow at the fortress at the time of the incident."

"That's exactly what I thought this morning," Amy said. "Yet one way or another, here she is."

"So the Chaos Emerald hunt has just kicked up a notch," he mused aloud. "Well, now that we know nothing's here, we should probably head back home."

Home… nothing sounded better than that right now.

With that, we began heading back toward the stairs to leave, but Tails stopped when he noticed Danny studying something. The fox broke away from us and headed over to him.

"What are you looking at…?" he asked softly.

"It's a footprint," Danny quietly replied. "I think a boot might have made it."

Tails crouched down to take a closer look at the bootprint, which was well-identifiable, but was still inconspicuous. His eyes widened.

"I guess no matter what world you're in, some things stay the same…" he mused.

"What do you mean by that? What did you find?" Amy asked as the rest of us gathered around Danny and Tails.

"Danny found a footprint here," Tails explained, "and it looks like it could only have been left by someone working with GUN."

GUN… Now _this_ was a new development… I was a bit surprised, as were Sonic and Amy. What were they doing here?

"Good job, Danny," Tails smiled up at the boy. "This is a huge discovery."

"I may not be a GUN whiz like Rouge or Shadow," Sonic said, "but one thing's for certain. They're very thorough in their operations and never leave anything behind."

"But what would they be doing here?" pressed Tails.

Suddenly Amy squealed, startling us all. I looked down to see a mouse scurrying away from us. So we weren't alone here…

"I-I've had it w-with this p-p-place," Amy said in a shaky voice.

"Okay," a sympathetic Sonic said. "We're leaving."

So we walked back up the stairs together, Sonic next to Amy for comfort after her little scare. We were finally going to go home. I had been away for nearly six whole hours.

No one spoke until we stepped out into the considerably warmer, fresher air. Apparently I didn't know just how close the air was in the warehouse, for the night air was much more refreshing to me.

"So what _if_ Rouge was here after all?" Tails spoke as we approached the X-Tornado. "She's the only person I can think of who would move the sign."

"You have a point, Tails," agreed Amy, who was now over her fright.

Tails helped me, Amy, and Danny into the plane. By now, Danny and I were dead tired. Maybe I could sleep a little on the way home. As for Sonic, he always preferred to "hitchhike", as he called it.

"Perhaps Rouge _did_ move the sign to trick us," continued Amy. "That way, she could cover her tracks and be sure to have the Emerald all to herself." She giggled. "But it looks like she was tricked too!"

As we taxied down the parking lot and lifted into the air, I felt myself starting to drift off to sleep. I was too tired to contribute to the conversation.

"That's only assuming there is an Emerald," corrected Tails. "But that still doesn't explain GUN's role in all this. Of course, we know Rouge works for GUN back on Mobius, but…"

"What if GUN wanted to hire her, and they used the glass ball to trick her into thinking there was a Chaos Emerald?" suggested Amy optimistically.

Tails seemed reluctant. "That… doesn't really seem like how GUN works," he said after a moment. "They're not the kind of organization that would just up and hire anyone on the spot. It takes rigorous training to join their ranks."

"Backing things up a bit," said Amy, "who fed the kids false information? Who gave _Mr. Stewart_ false information?"

"I… don't know," Tails said slowly. "Someone who knew him had to have told him. It all seems fishy to me."

There was a long, thoughtful pause afterward. I sensed myself drifting off to sleep.

"Do you think this could have been a trap for Sonic?" Tails said. I became a little more alert, not just because the silence was broken, but at this new possibility.

"How so?" Amy wondered.

"Think about it," started Tails. "GUN is a military branch of the government, kind of like this world's FBI and SWAT teams. This isn't the first time they've tried capturing Mobians. Remember our run-in with them while we were bringing you to Chris' house?"

"Yeah," Amy recalled. "GUN is definitely not known for being gentle."

"That's for sure," Tails agreed. "Well, a bit after that, Sonic told me he had caught some clues that they could still be after him… Maybe they need him for something?"

Amy seemed confused. "But I thought he'd be seen as a clear-cut hero by now."

"Maybe…" said Tails, "but Earth's people still don't know a lot about him yet. The same goes with the rest of us Mobians." He was silent for a moment. "But for the time being, though, we can't say we have solid evidence that Rouge was ever there."

"...I guess you're right…" Amy sighed. "Our best hope of finding out for sure would be to watch tomorrow morning's news."

The rest of our flight home was silent and calm - a perfect sleeping environment. Today had been a long day for all of us.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

"Two hours later and we're _still_ undetected," marveled Topaz.

She, Rouge, Westwood, and the two soldiers had been roaming the fortress, mapping every room they had access to. Of course, most of them were locked with passcodes, and Westwood had decided against attempting to enter those rooms so as to avoid setting off the alarm. That was something they could not afford.

Their nerves were heightened, and adrenalin coursed through their veins. They were across enemy lines for the first time since Doctor Robotnik manifested himself on Earth. Once they thought they heard a robot nearby, but it was just a part of the fortress settling. While they got over that scare quickly enough, it still served as a wake-up call to remain on guard at all times. Just because the surveillance was down did not mean they were immune to the robots' line of sight.

"This must be _some_ maintenance shift," continued Topaz.

"This also happens to be the night Eggman upgrades all of the base's systems to the latest version," said Rouge. "They're shut off all night for this process. I gotta hand it to you, you guys couldn't have picked a better time to break and enter."

"Keep your voice down, Rouge," cautioned Topaz. "We don't need attention." After a moment, she asked, "How do you know all this about Eggman's schedule? Were you really here that often?"

"Believe me, you have _no_ idea how often I check up on the doctor," Rouge said matter-of-factly.

"Okay, except for a few unnecessary rooms, the map is nearly complete," Westwood announced a minute later. "All that's left is the generator and the command center. No way are we going up to the command center, so we need to find the generator."

Turning to Rouge, Topaz asked, "Would you happen to know where that is?"

"Oh…" Rouge pondered. "I'm never over there, especially since it's one of the most heavily-guarded sectors in the entire fortress. Or so I've heard, since I don't actually know where it is."

Topaz was bewildered. "How do you not know where it is? Didn't you just say you come here all the time?"

"As much fun as it is to pay the doctor a house call, I've got my own life to live as well. Besides… he's always had some secrets I've never been able to crack."

"Two hours, and we _still_ haven't found the generator," grumbled one of the soldiers.

"This is ridiculous," said Westwood. "You'd _think_ the generator would be one of the easiest components to locate." He glanced at his watch. "All right, one more hour and we're outta here."

Rouge's eyes wandered over to an inconspicuous seam in one of the walls. Then she realized: it was most likely a door!

"Hey, if you don't mind, I'm gonna go look around a bit more," Rouge volunteered.

"No, you're staying with us," interjected Westwood. "Remember the deal."

"Give her a chance," Topaz vouched. "After all, she's the one who got us in here to begin with."

Westwood contemplated it for a moment.

"Fine," he decided, "but you're going with her."

Rouge mentally facepalmed. "Ugh, I why am I always the baby around here?" she muttered under her breath.

"I won't fail you, Captain," Topaz promised.

Nodding in satisfaction, Westwood handed her the remote. "Rendezvous on the beach in thirty minutes."

Topaz was mildly surprised. "I thought you said one hour-"

"Look, it's already past three, and we need to be out of here ASAP. You and Rouge are to shut down the generator and be right out."

Topaz saluted. "You can count on me, sir."

As Westwood and the two soldiers headed out the way they came, Topaz turned to Rouge. "All right, Rouge, lead the way."

Rouge walked over to the door. "This is all-new territory for me too," she said. "I do, however, have a sinking feeling this is where the generator is located…"

It didn't take Rouge long to find that the way to open the door was a hidden button camouflaged within the door itself. It slid into the ceiling, allowing the two agents to proceed within.

They were met by several more hallways. It was like a maze in there.

"Are you _sure_ we're going the right way?" Topaz asked with some uncertainty.

"Sometimes, the best thing to do is to trust your instincts," Rouge stated simply.

"...So, I take it as somewhat of a 'no'."

Rouge chose to ignore Topaz. She could say what she wanted, but as for Rouge, she was adamant.

"Seriously, where is everybody…?" she wondered to herself.

There was silence as the two proceeded down hallway after hallway. Rouge had a feeling the generator was most likely on one of the lower levels, perhaps near the center of the fortress.

"You kinda remind me of an agent I used to work with sometimes," Rouge said, attempting to break the ice. "Madonna, her name was. She too was with GUN, but she was more… relaxed. You could actually give her a run for her money."

Topaz didn't reply. She was too focused on her goal to banter about what could easily be her Mobian doppelganger. At last they saw a specially-marked door in front of them.

"Well, I guess it doesn't take instincts to know that behind this door lies the generator.

"That's for sure," agreed Rouge.

She walked up to the door and attempted to open it, but it was locked, to the bat's expectation.

"Of course…" she muttered. To Topaz, she said, "Stay back. It could get messy in there."

Topaz nodded and stood back, watching as Rouge used her powerful heels to kick a near-perfect square hole in the door in four amazingly clean kicks. Needless to say, Topaz was amazed.

Next, Rouge pushed the cut part of the door into the room. She wondered if she would regret it, as it fell onto the concrete floor with a loud metallic clang, causing her to cringe. This would surely spell danger in a few minutes.

"Did you _have_ to do that?" asked Topaz.

Rouge glanced up at Topaz, shrugging. "It's a wonder the alarm hasn't gone off yet," she said. "As long as we remain undetected, we still have a chance. Now let's have a look-see at what the doctor's hiding…"

Rouge went first through the hole, crawling over the fallen block, then Topaz. Good thing she cut it large enough for an adult human to crawl through. Standing back up, she was met by a large round console in the center of the room, and the cyan Chaos Emerald inside the console.

"When have my treasure hunting senses ever failed me~?" she gasped in delight as she approached the Emerald.

Topaz also stood up and looked around the room.

"Looks like we found the generator's breaker room instead," she summarized. "The generator itself has to be close by."

She began to search every control panel for some kind of master switch. Meanwhile, Rouge was trying to resist the urge to ogle over the Chaos Emerald. Priorities first; it has to wait for now, as there was a sudden movement from the opposite door.

"Topaz, we've got company!" Rouge warned. Topaz looked up just in time to see a robot lumbering into the room.

"Yeah, just give me a moment!" Topaz called.

"We don't _have_ a moment!" Rouge urgently shouted. She sounded desperate - and there was good reason to be, as the robot that entered the room was an E-70 Siren unit. It was designed to be a security robot.

The Siren grabbed Topaz with one of its claw hands when the human wasn't looking, causing her to give a squeak of fright. Rouge saw this coming and prepared to execute a Screw Kick to attack the robot. She leaped into the air and spun like a drill, feet first, toward the robot, when it suddenly emitted an extremely loud high-pitched sound. It sounded like a smoke alarm, only much louder and piercing. It was so suddenly loud that it caused Rouge to lose control of her attack and sprawl on the ground, covering her ears. Topaz did too, since her hands we not bound. Now the Siren was _sure_ to bring everyone running.

Rouge slowly uncovered her ears, trying to become more accustomed to the sound, but it proved to be futile. She charged back toward the Siren anyway, but it produced its sound even louder, causing Rouge to scream aloud at the loug pitch, which gradually rose in pitch. Already a headache was coming on.

"It feels like my head's going to explode!" shouted Topaz. Despite her excellent hearing, Rouge could still hardly hear her. Topaz was still lucky, though. As a bat, she could hear ultrasound, which meant she would have to put up with the Siren's alarm much longer than Topaz should it rise even higher in pitch.

To make matters even worse, several more robots appeared in the doorway Rouge came in. She recognized them as an E-12 Behemoth, an E-13 Guardian, and an E-14 Warhead. It seemed Eggman hadn't recalled his Guardian units ever since "it" happened.

Now it was four against one. Rouge had to take them all on with an incessant tone blaring in her skull. And for once, she didn't know if she could do it.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

"...Chris…"

"...It's time to get up, Chris. We're here."

Chris drowsily opened his eyes. The canopies were open, and he was home.

"Wh… What time is it...?" he asked as Tails helped him down.

"Almost ten," he replied. "I have a feeling you're going to sleep pretty well tonight."

"I… hope so," he whispered, yawning.

The five friends walked across the lawn toward the mansion's side door. Even Sonic followed at a leisurely pace. The front door was usually locked for the night, but the side door remained unlocked. Upon entering the house, they saw Chuck reading in the living room. He looked up.

"Welcome back," he said quietly. "Cream and Cheese have gone to bed for the night, and Ella and Tanaka are having their down time upstairs, so I pretty much have had the house to myself for the past half hour." He stood up. "Chris, Danny, you both look exhausted. We should get you to bed soon."

To Tails, he asked, "Any luck out there?"

Tails shook his head. "No. We found the warehouse, but there was no Chaos Emerald inside. We think that either someone else found it, or it was false information."

"Interesting," Chuck pondered. "Who told you about the Emerald?"

"Mr. Stewart did," Amy explained.

Chuck was silent for a moment. "I wonder how he found out…" he thought. "Anyway, I should get you all something to eat before bed. You've been out for over six hours."

"You got any chili dogs left?" asked Sonic.

"I do," Chris' grandfather nodded as he started for the kitchen. "Would everyone like some?"

Everyone mumbled their agreements. Chris and Danny were visibly tired, and felt great relief when they sat down in the dining room.

This "midnight" snack felt like a blur for Chris, and neither he nor Danny spoke much at all as they listened to Sonic, Tails, Amy, and Chuck talk about the hunt and their plans for tomorrow. Chris wondered if the reason he felt more tired was because humans don't have the seemingly boundless energy that Mobians do.

Near the end of their meal, Chuck said, "Because of the lateness of the hour, I think Danny should spend the night here, and I'll call his mother to let her know he's here. How does that sound, Danny?"

Danny nodded, as he was too tired to say much.

"I'll sleep on the roof tonight," volunteered Sonic, "and if it's okay with you, Tails, Danny will get my bed."

"It's fine," Tails agreed, and Danny nodded again.

After exchanging good nights, Chris and Danny headed up the stairs.

"It's been a long day for them…" thought Amy.

Chuck began cleaning up the dishes. After making sure the elderly inventor was out of earshot, Tails asked, "How come Mr. Stewart gave false information gave false information on the Emerald? Did he lie?" Tails wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery somehow.

"Probably not," thought Sonic. "It sounds like he heard it from someone who just got the info wrong. What about it?"

"Tails thinks that GUN was trying to set a trap for you tonight," piped up Amy. "I want to hear your thoughts on this."

Sonic nodded. "I figured as much," he said. "It seems Rouge fell for it instead, that is, assuming she was ever there. But about Mr. Stewart… it seems there's a bit more to him than he lets on."

"What do you mean," asked a puzzled Amy.

"Well, the way I see it… the government set a trap for me, and informed Mr. Stewart about it, who then subtly passed the word on to Chris. They knew he'd come straight to me with the news, hoping I'd head over to the warehouse alone and fall into the government's hands for whatever purpose. You see what I'm getting at?"

This new perspective surprised Tails and Amy.

"But… why… would they use Chris like that…?" Amy said.

"This was GUN's operation," explained Sonic. "We all know they tend to do things a little… differently."

"Wait a minute…" Tails started to piece the puzzle together. "If the government informed Mr. Stewart of the news of a 'Chaos Emerald'... then Mr. Stewart could quite possibly be an undercover agent!"

"For real?" a shocked Amy exclaimed, still trying to be careful not to let Chuck hear.

"Seems like it," Sonic said. "I think we should probably keep tabs on him in case he says or does anything else weird. And this should strictly be kept among the three of us, okay? Chris doesn't need to know this. If he finds out, he may not see him the same way again. And that goes for Cream too."

"You're right, Sonic," Amy said. Tails nodded his agreement. Not even Mr. Stewart would know that they were on to him.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

The Guardian turned its cannons on Rouge and opened fire, but even with the Siren's infernal noise blaring across the room, the bat was still able to nimbly roll out of the way. She then quickly got up and leapt away from another shower of lasers coming from the Guardian's gun barrels.

There were only four robots in the room, and Rouge wondered why there weren't any Badniks present. Perhaps Eggman was confident he could subdue her with only his E-Series robots. He seemed to be doing a good job at it so far.

However, while Rouge was preoccupied with the Warhead, the Behemoth lumbered further into the room, raised its left arm, and fired a large blue beam that swept across the room. Rouge dodged, and noted that it didn't cause any damage to the room. Eggman must have thought this out when designing them.

Next, the Warhead advanced into the room with its tank treads, and launched its missiles directly at the bat. She would have made a witty remark about playing with dynamite indoors, but was too disoriented to do so. Fortunately, all of the missiles flew wide of her, but only because she was flying erratically on account of the deafening tone. It must have been much worse off for Topaz.

The missiles blew a hole in the floor. Their explosions cause Rouge's ears to ring more than they already were, and she nearly fell into the hole. She chided herself to be more careful.

Rouge took a quick peek down the hole. As dark as it was, she could make out some very large components in there. Her gut told her that it was indeed the generator. They had finally found what they were looking for.

However, there was no time to investigate, what with her immediate situation and Topaz's endangerment. Topaz was in a terrible situation - at this rate, she would go deaf if nothing was done before long.

She turned around to face the Guardian again. She knew from experience that it was slow to cease fire - she saw it first hand before Chaos Control. She knew exactly how to use it to her advantage.

Rouge backflipped, Olympic gymnast style, clear over the Warhead and landed on the other side while the Guardian was firing again. Just as planned, the Guardian shot the Warhead, causing it to spark. Her prior training with GUN was really paying off.

The Guardian finally stopped shooting, but not in time. In a turn of events that would make Rube Goldberg proud, the Warhead launched its arsenal at the Behemoth, destroying it. The combined noise of the explosions and the Siren's namesake was now unbearable.

A piece of the Behemoth's arm squarely struck the Chaos Emerald and the console it resided in with enough force force to create yet another explosion. This explosion caught the Siren off guard, and it dropped Topaz. The GUN agent picked herself up. She was visibly shaken, but safe.

That was the good news. The bad news though, was that the Chaos Emerald had disappeared in the ensuing explosions. It was gone, and so were Rouge's expectations tonight.

Two robots were down, but there were still two to go. The Guardian was menacing, but Rouge had to make the Siren her next priority. As if to ward her off, the Siren's pitch rose even higher than before. It was now an ultrasound, at least to humans.

Rouge got an idea. Fortunately it was somewhat easier to hear each other now that the sound didn't seem as oppressive despite her headache.

"Topaz!" she called. "Detach the bracelet!"

"Why?" Topaz asked in confusion.

"Just do it!"

Slightly reluctant, yet curious as to what Rouge was up to, Topaz pressed the button to detach the bracelet. Rouge caught it before it fell and hurled it into the Siren's speaker mounted atop itself.

"Like throwing the ring into Mount Doom…" mused Topaz.

"All right, Topaz, light it up!" ordered Rouge.

 _Now_ Topaz caught onto Rouge's plan. She pressed the detonation button, and the resulting explosion severely damaged the Siren's speaker. Now that the noise had stopped, the two agents could breathe again.

But the Guardian was still up. It once again fired at the agents, but they ran out of the way, causing the robot to misfire at the Siren, ultimately destroying it. The Guardian stopped firing, then turned toward Rouge. It would have a lot of atoning to do…

"Get out of here!" Rouge pointed toward the door. "I'll handle this!"

As Topaz fled the room, Rouge Screw Kicked the Guardian down the hole into the generator room. Now that took care of every robot in the room. However, she regretted how she destroyed it, as she could hear an explosion starting up. She inwardly lamented about losing the Chaos Emerald to an explosion that could have easily been prevented. But now was not the time to wallow in her self-pity. She wouldn't let that get the better of her, because she had to act fast and evacuate.

Rouge ran from the room and back down the hall she and Topaz came through. It didn't take her long to locate Topaz.

"Hope you're not afraid of heights," she told her as she scooped her up and flew down the hall.

Topaz squinted at their surprising speed and the air rushing past them. The explosion continued to build behind them, and Topaz wondered if they could make it out in time.

"Do you know the way out?" Topaz shouted over the wind.

"Of course," Rouge called back. "I know this place like I know my jewels."

"And yet you didn't know where the entrance to the breaker room was until tonight," Topaz shot back.

"Details, details…" dismissed Rouge.

Just then Rouge caught sight of many various Badniks starting to appear in their path up ahead.

"Where _were_ you all tonight?" wondered Rouge as she expertly dodged their laser fire. "You missed all the action!"

But the Badniks were the least of her problems. As they flew on, the explosion started to gain on them, and took out all the Badniks who were now behind them. At last they approached a glass window up ahead - a rarity in Eggman's fortresses.

"Brace yourself," Rouge warned.

Time seemed to slow down as Rouge flew feet first through the window, breaking through the pane and sending thousands of glass shards raining down to the ground below them. Neither Rouge nor Topaz suffered cuts when passing through the window.

The moment the two agents escaped, the explosion violently burst out of the side of the fortress where they had just been, brilliantly lighting up the night and severely damaging that part of the fortress. If that was the generator exploding, then Rouge's cause had struck a major blow again Eggman.

Rouge started to tire as she descended toward the ground below. Topaz looked around.

"Whatever you did, Rouge, you knocked down the shields," she commented.

"And the generator," Rouge added. "Eggman's gonna go without power for a week at most."

Rouge landed on the beach near Captain Westwood, who had met back with the reconnaissance team, and set Topaz down.

"Report," instructed Westwood. "And what on Earth was that siren in there?" Rouge and Topaz still felt their ears ringing heavily from their prolonged exposure to the piercing noise they had to endure, not to mention they both had a splitting headache.

"The room we found ended up being the breaker room, and not the generator itself like we originally thought," Topaz recalled. "Though, I do think Rouge discovered that the generator is underneath the breaker room." Rouge nodded in confirmation. "We were attacked by several robots, one of which tried to disorient us by producing the sound we heard. Rouge ended up destroying them all, and I must say… I'm impressed. Also, the explosion knocked out the shield, which opens the door to a return trip."

"Frankly, that was quite fun," Rouge added. "Though, my only regret is that we lost the Chaos Emerald… Maybe we could make a return trip for it later."

"We'll see," Westwood said. "It all depends on what the higher-ups decide. The ship is gonna be here any minute, and we'll get you both through a check-up."

Topaz took a moment to admire the sun rising over the Pacific Ocean, despite the smoke from the explosion still rising from the fortress.

"Rouge…"

"Hm?"

"I can't believe I'm admitting this…" Topaz paused, unsure if she wanted to continue.

"Well, what is it?" urged Rouge. "Trying to say I'm not as bad as you thought I was?"

Topaz hesitated, then nodded slightly nodded. "Yeah… We actually make a great team. And… I'm sorry for being blunt with you earlier. It's just… well, I'm not used to anyone being laid-back about their GUN job."

"When you're with GUN for as long as me, hon, nothing surprises you anymore," said Rouge.

"From the sounds of it, Rouge, you're well composed and have the makings of a true agent," Westwood said. "In fact, you're a natural. When we get back, we'll discuss your official hire with Commissioner Perrault. Congratulations on completing your first official mission with GUN." He paused. That came out funny. "Or, _our_ GUN, really."

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

The last thing I remember, I was heading upstairs to bed. Now, I was being nudged awake by my teacher at school. I must have really needed the sleep.

And I wasn't alone. Danny had passed out as well. Frances and Helen were also at my table, but since we briefly told them about our hunt, they didn't wake us up themselves.

"What time did you finally get to sleep last night?" Mr Stewart asked.

"Midnight," I replied. "Maybe even a little later than that." To make up for not eating as much yesterday as I probably should, I had a big breakfast this morning.

"Listen," Mr. Stewart spoke in a hushed tone, "it's okay to go on adventures with Sonic and his friends, but you should try to get to sleep at a good time, so you're not tired the next day like now."

He leaned a little closer to me and whispered in my ear. "About the red Chaos Emerald in Silky Heights, I think it might have been a mistake. I'm sorry for sending you all on a wild goose chase."

As he walked back to the front of the class, I was confused. This whole thing felt a little strange, and I had no idea why.

* * *

 **A/N:** And that's "Fly Spy"! I greatly enjoyed writing this chapter. If you haven't noticed, I leaned toward mystery over adventure during Chris and Sonic's scenes. That's something I'm considering doing in a later chapter - can you guess which one?

(Hint: It has something to do with a certain teacher, hitchhikers, and an escaped scientist.)

Our main changes I've compiled:

 _-The security guards don't whittle away their shift playing blackjack.  
-The scene with Rouge before the opening theme is cut to make Rouge more mysterious.  
-Amy doesn't bring pizza into the lab. I'm pretty sure Chuck has a rule about that.  
-Also, Amy already knows Sonic is away.  
-Chris doesn't go with Sonic in the X-Tornado to look for Chaos Emeralds. I mean, doesn't the kid have school or something?  
-The Vice President!  
-The art theme is changed. "Things That I Want" is for five year olds. Chris is twelve.  
-No more cringey Chris moments! No more embarrassment! No more problems!  
-Now there's an explanation as to why Rouge is at the school to begin with.  
_ _-GUN no longer LOLs at the "old lady" jokes. (I kept the old lady jokes in because I thought they were funny.)  
-Herobrine has been removed.  
-Rouge is more serious and less seductive overall. She still had her moments at more appropriate times.  
-I invented James Perrault just so I wouldn't have Rouge go to Washington and back. It seems better this way.  
-Eggman has been removed from this episode for technical reasons. We apologize for the inconvenience. He will return in the next episode.  
-Badniks!  
-Rouge does not insult Topaz's weight. That's not very nice.  
-There are actually side effects from hanging around Noizi.  
-No more overreactions!_

And that's that! Good thing I renamed this to "Special Forces"; the name "Fly Spy" made my brother cringe until he learned it was a play on "I Spy". Even to this day it still makes me cringe, and I end up calling it "The One with the Laughing GUN Soldiers".

Let me know if anyone is out of character, or there are plotholes. Also, I hope no one minds that I bounced back and forth between time periods during Chris' scenes and Rouge's scenes; if I did it in chronological order, we would have all of Chris' scenes, then all of Rouge's scenes, and it might get boring after a while.

Another reminder that I plan to put this story on hiatus after Chapter 13 so I can expand the backlog and prevent unnecessarily long delays. I will put a percentage on my profile page that will hopefully indicate how long it will be until I resume writing. When it reaches 100%, I will continue the story. In the meantime, I will tweak the first thirteen chapters of this story, especially the first eight, before porting them onto Archive of Our Own and DeviantArt. If you like the cover image I arranged for this story, I plan to make cover images for each chapter for the DeviantArt release.

Next up is the first part of "Beating Eggman", where the third Chaos Emerald is found, and the government launches its attack against Eggman!

Happy Spooktober, and until next time, doot!


	12. The Attack Begins

**A/N:** Here's some interesting news. Search "Sonic x rewrite" and my story is one of the first results to appear. Depending on the variation of the search, you can get a couple different chapters on the first Google page (or whatever browser you use)!

Fortunately, I'm making progress by leaps and bounds with my backlog. I've finished formulating ideas for "Skirmish in the Sky" and "Depths of Danger". Once I finish ideas with "Sonic's Scream Test", I'll start writing for episodes 15-19. Once writing is finished, the hiatus will be over and I will continue writing.

Now technically, I don't _have_ to go on hiatus; I'm only doing it to prevent a bigger delay later; specifically, the Shadow Saga and beyond up to the Metarex Saga.

Also, it's too bad the FFN docs doesn't save formatting. I have to type italics stuff like this: (italics) _italics stuff_ (italics)

The new Sonic Movie design... What can I say? I love it. It's strange of me to say, but the blue arms seem to work for the movie, even though it was already done in Sonic Boom. And yay, the new trailer's coming in a couple weeks. Since I hear Paramount only releases movie trailers on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I predict a November 14 trailer release.

I have a couple predictions already in mind concerning a possible sequel. I think that it's possible Robotnik will be called Eggman for the first time, Tom and Annie could have a baby, and Tails, the Chaos Emeralds, and maybe Metal Sonic will appear. (Some people think Shadow will show up, but I beg to differ.)

Now, the chapter. This chapter ended up falling short of my 15,000-word goal, but that's okay. This episode and the next are a two-part story, which can only mean a cliffhanger ending. I'm going to rename E-35 Funfun to Fujita, because Eggman can't just go around yelling "Funfun" (or "FanFanFan" in the Japanese version).

Also, some of Chris' scenes are going to be pretty intense, so hang onto your seats and try not to get blown away.

With that being said, let's get on to the reviews and what matters most: the story!

* * *

 _ **SuperTailsFan0812**_

 _I enjoyed reading this Chapter. This was my favourite. Also, there is a slight spelling error. You accidentally said Canny instead of Danny._

 _Once again, I loved this chapter and I will see you next chapter_

 **Thank you! It was my favorite to write thus far!**

 **I have since found and corrected the spelling error. Thank you for telling me about it.**

 _ **GuardianDragon98**_

 _This was worth the wait! I love how you wrote Rouge's character. She's still got that iconic jewel thief sass but she shows the maturity that comes with working for G.U.N. You can definitely tell that she's a seasoned agent._

 _Poor Shadow and Omega :D They're missing all the action. I can imagine Omega saying something along the lines of, "I FEEL CHEATED. I FIND IT UNJUST AND UNFAIR THAT ROUGE GETS ALL THE FUN OF PUMMELING THE DOCTOR'S ROBOTS."_

 **While Rouge isn't my favorite Sonic X character, I think I had too much fun adapting her for this story. There's a time and a place for being sassy, which is why I made her more of a seasoned GUN agent.**

 **You know, Team Dark just isn't the same without Rouge. She's probably the only one who can keep Shadow from going berserk when the others aren't around. And you know Omega can't have all the fun taking on Eggman who is no longer on Mobius. Now they can have peace again for the time being.**

 _ **Guest**_

 _I can say I hated the original one with a passion, especially the dub (then again, they never did try giving Sonic many mature themes outside that Shadow game and the Comics)._  
 _But I only read the first chapter, and I can already tell it's improved by a tenfold. I can imagine this is what the show would be like if it was given a proper reboot (Sonic XZ or something)._  
 _I only feel like the Archie/SatAM/Underground references are unnecessary unless you plan to include even more of the characters, or give further development as to why they "parted ways" out of Sonic's life._

 _But hey, that's just my take on it..._

 **I've always wondered what would happen if there was actually a _good_ Sonic TV show or anime. I know we had SatAM, but we need something more recent. They really do need to give Sonic some more mature themes. They _almost_ did it in Forces.**

 **As for the Archie, SatAM, and Underground references, I can tell you that, while you probably won't be seeing many of its characters in this story, I am formulating ideas for a Sonic genesis story and a Sonic Forces story that will make use of these characters. No promises on the stories, though, but we'll see...**

 _ **kitsune**_

 _good chapter!_

 **Thanks!**

 _ **Animation Adventures**_

 _Speak of the thief, and she will appear! I think Rouge is in the most interesting position of the gang. She is warped into another dimension, and ends up working for the same organization that she does at home, just a different squad. Also, she doesn't get to keep the stuff she stole. Though, the SA2 game seems to imply Rouge has a deal with GUN that allows her to receive jewels instead of pay._

 _It's been a while since I've seen Rouge's debut episode, so I can't comment on the changes this time._

 _I think the best thing about this chapter was that unlike the anime, Sonic and friends actually got SUSPICIOUS of Mr. Stewart. Always thought that guy was a creep as a kid, the way he kept showing up at stuff like Nelson and Lindsey's anniversary on the movie set and joining the gang on that trip to Japan where they found the Chao Garden. He was also shown to have tagged Chris with a tracker in that trip, and neither Tanaka nor Amy thought it was creepy he was somehow tracking Tails, Cream, and the kids like that. Now that the group is onto him, hopefully that'll keep him out of their personal affairs like the anniversary and the trip later._

 _Great job with Rouge's story debut. While it would've been fun to have all of Team Dark along for the ride, it's only a matter of time before Shadow and Omega get involved. I am very much looking forward to Omega especially since he was never part of the anime, and I bet the humans of the cast would have an interesting time interacting with a robot who seeks Eggman's defeat. :P_

 **Thanks for pointing that bit out with GUN. Surprisingly enough, I've never played a Sonic game before, but I am familiar with some of their stories. And yeah, Rouge is in quite the situation here, isn't she?**

 **The idea that Sonic, Tails, and Amy are on to Mr. Stewart is actually fairly new, but it works. Now that you mention Mr. Stewart, I plan to remove him from the anniversary episode, even though the double take was funny, but now I'm considering removing him from the trip episode as well. Also, would the government have foreign agents who would do just as well as Mr. Stewart?**

 **I plan to include a story of at least three parts that has Omega and Shadow in it. It may be difficult to write for me, though, as I seem to be better at rewriting stories than making original ones. But I'll see what I'm made of.**

 **Speaking of Team Dark, you raised an opportunity for me to plug my new oneshot Fall of the Ultimate Lifeform, a rewrite of the end of IDW Sonic Issue 19. I thought I'd do so since it surprisingly didn't get any reviews, faves, or follows.**

 **Ignis76**

 _Okay, so I pretty much binge-read this overnight and I can say with absolute confidence that its the best Sonic X fanfic I've ever read and I was pleasantly surprised to see it was updated so recently. The only reason I found this is because I actually re-watched the full Sonic X series a few days ago after I found the episodes saved on a hard drive and I thought I'd check it out without the rose-colored lens of my childhood._

 _Turns out that even after growing up and fully seeing the shows flaws I still love it and Chris is still my favorite character. I'll also acknowledge that I'm biased as hell because the X series was my first exposure to the Sonic franchise but after experiencing the games myself, its actually just made me appreciate Sonic X even more._

 _There are so many things about this fic that I love but writing them all would turn this review into a novel and my brain isn't cooperating when I try to write my thoughts about it down so I'll just leave it at that. Thank you so much for the update and I'm looking forward to the next one :)_

 **Thank you for your kind words! They mean a lot to me! I've seen about a dozen attempts to rewrite Sonic X, but many of them either throw in excessive OCs or Archie characters, and they never usually get past three chapters, if not one. Also, I can count on one hand how many Sonic X stories are fully complete. That's sad.**

 **Chris is my favorite Sonic X original character as well; I can easily relate to him. Although I can see why people would hate him, I see through those flaws. While people complain that he is way too obsessed with Sonic or complains and cries a lot, I mean, look at him! He got the first Chaos Emerald all by himself! He gave Sonic and friends a home! He even severely damaged the E-99 Eggsterminator by extracting the Chaos Emeralds!**

 **Don't worry about turning your review into a novel; long reviews are my favorite kinds. Also, I tend to leave long reviews myself, so we're good. :)**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: America does not sponsor the actions of Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik; they are sponsored by Eggman Industries. Additionally, a 404 error was encountered in Eggman's moral code._

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

Another beautiful Saturday morning… The birds were singing, the butterflies were flitting about, and the sound of a pair of Grandpa's Japanese-imported CE-Kai engines igniting filled the once-silent air.

Tails, Amy, Cream, Cheese, and I were gathered outside the garage, getting ready to have another go at finding the Chaos Emeralds. This time, though, Sonic wasn't with us; he was off on one of his runs. Hopefully today, we would have much better luck than our last flight.

"Okay, that's that," Tails said as he flew down from the X-Tornado to join us. He had spent the last three minutes setting some controls in the cockpit. "Now all we're waiting on is Frances. Chris, do you know how long it'll be until she gets here?"

"I think any moment now," I recalled.

It was the weekend, which meant I was off of school. Yesterday at school, I had told Frances that my friends and I were planning to go find the third Chaos Emerald today. I asked her if she wanted to come with us this time. Since she was free that weekend, she accepted. As much as Danny wanted to come as well, he allowed Frances to go next, since he had already had his turn in the X-Tornado. Besides, Tails' jet plane can only seat four.

Today was the day. It was bright and sunny, with no wind. As it was a little glary today, I was wearing a pair of goggles my teacher gave me.

"Judging by the news report we saw the other day," Amy said, "I think we managed to piece together that Rouge is indeed working for GUN and took part in the attack on Eggman's base."

Tails nodded. "Still, I find it strange that they never mentioned Rouge, not even by name."

"Maybe it's confidential?" Amy guessed.

Tails shrugged. "Perhaps."

"But what was GUN trying to accomplish in that attack?" I wondered.

"That's what I've been racking my head over recently, Chris," Tails said. "It doesn't seem as straightforward as capturing Eggman or destroying the base." He ran his hand through his bangs. "All we know at the moment is that Eggman is housing a Chaos Emerald there, so… maybe that's what they're after? I don't imagine GUN knowing too much about the Emeralds, but if they do have Rouge with them, she can probably tell them about the Emeralds."

"Well, whatever GUN's goal was," replied Amy, "I imagine Rouge is feeling right at home with them."

"Mr. Tails…?" Cream gently spoke up. "Is the next Chaos Emerald far?"

"Yeah, it does appear to be a little ways away," Tails recalled. "It's nothing too far for the X-Tornado, though."

He turned to look at me, and looked like he was about to say something when we saw Frances biking into the driveway.

"Hi, Frances," I greeted as my friend dismounted from her bike. I had to raise my voice over the X-Tornado's idle engines. "I'd like you to meet my friends who are living with me."

After introductions, Frances was finding herself awed at the sight and scale of the X-Tornado.

"This is so cool," she said. "Did your grandpa build this?"

"Nope," Tails said, stifling a chuckle, "unless I'm somehow Chris' grandpa."

Frances was astonished even more than she already was.

"You mean… _you_ built it?"

Tails nodded and smiled, blushing a little.

"Hey Tails, where should Frances sit?" Amy asked.

"Let's see…" thought Tails, looking up at his impressive craft. "She can sit in the back with you, and Chris can sit up front with me."

As Amy and Frances became excited about having 'girl time' and getting to know each other better, I helped Tails set up the ladder next to the X-Tornado. Once again, I was so glad Tails had built this. Now I could climb in and out with ease while we were home.

"You can climb in first, Frances," Amy invited as she and Frances walked over to the ladder.

Frances grinned as she scaled the ladder and chose the fourth seat. Amy climbed in next and sat in front of her.

"It's really comfortable back here," complimented Frances, admiring her surroundings.

"I'm glad you like it," Amy smiled as she buckled in. "Tails is the best mechanic I know."

"Goodbye, everyone!" Cream called, waving as Tails and I also climbed in.

"Bye, Cream!" we all called.

"We should be back in a few hours at most," Tails added.

With that, Tails flipped two switches, and the canopies closed around us. It had been a while since I sat up front.

"Is everyone ready?" Tails asked. "This could be a long flight. Hopefully it's not going to be nearly as long as the last one."

I inwardly groaned. That last flight really took its toll on my energy. Here's hoping it wouldn't happen again…

"Everyone buckled in?" asked Tails. We all said yes. Fortunately, Frances was able to strap herself in without any trouble, but she also had Amy's help with it just in case. I didn't see it; I only pieced it together from what I heard in the back compartment.

"Don't be nervous, Frances," assured Amy as we began to taxi forward. "The takeoffs are fast, but very smooth."

"Okay," Frances answered quietly and a little nervously.

Seconds later, we gradually lifted off the ground. By now I was somewhat used to traveling in the X-Tornado, so this was nothing. Fortunately, Frances seemed to be taking it very well.

"You doing okay?" Amy asked Frances.

"Mhm," she responded. "Tails, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear," responded Tails from in front of me.

"I've been wondering… how do you know where to find the Chaos Emeralds?"

"We don't," Tails said. "At least, not their _exact_ location. The Chaos Emerald we found last month, I have it installed in the X-Tornado. It will glow at a certain brightness, which indicates a certain distance. Unfortunately, we can't accurately know which direction it's in based only on that, so the rest of the hunt is entirely on us." He paused, wondering if his technical jargon had sailed over Frances' head. "Basically, it's like a long-range game of hot-and-cold."

"So how far is this one, Tails?" I asked.

Squinting, Tails examined the Emerald in the compartment in front of him.

"The light looks dim, but just bright enough to be unmistakable," he analyzed. "It could be a good forty miles away."

"That sounds like nearly an hour's drive away," I said.

"Well, the sooner we can get it," Tails declared, "the better."

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Having gone back inside after watching her friends leave, Cream and Cheese returned to the living room, where Sophia the First was playing on TV. They were really growing to like this show. In fact, Disney Junior was made for them. Additionally, they also had some paper and crayons to busy themselves with, so no way would Cream be bored when her friends were out.

The next fifteen minutes practically flew, and the show ended. Once it did, Ella walked into the room.

"Hello, sweetie," she greeted, smiling. "If you don't mind, I'd like to switch to the news briefly; I want to see if there's any further development on the attack on Dr. Eggman's base."

"Okay," Cream said as Ella picked up the controller and switched to the news. To their mild surprise, a press conference was already in progress.

"...infiltration mission at Doctor Ivo Robotnik's headquarters has been somewhat successful," acting Press Secretary Christina Cooper was saying. "The forces deployed there have located the base's generator, but not enough time was given to destroy it. Among the personnel was an alien recruit, allegedly from the same planet as Sonic the Hedgehog. The alien's identity is still confidential, but GUN's Alpha division commissioner James Perrault has announced that he plans to disclose the alien within a few days. I can confirm that Congress has approved of a war declaration on Dr. Robotnik, so that he will no longer pose a threat to this country."

"Miss Ella, what's going on?" Cream asked.

Ella took a moment to speak. "It seems the government is going to aid your cause."

Cream looked up at Ella. " _Our_ cause, Miss Ella," she said, smiling. "We're all in this together, right?"

Ella slowly nodded.

"You're right, Cream," she said. "It's _our_ cause."

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

"...and with that, I'll take questions," concluded Christina.

"Miss Cooper," one reporter spoke up.

"Yes, go ahead," she granted.

"There's a rumor that GUN knew of a gemstone inside the doctor's fortress. What has become of it?"

"According to Commissioner Perrault, the two agents directly involved in the mission reportedly claim they lost it in the fortress explosion," Christina answered. "Whether the crystal is intact is unknown, but the one thing that _is_ certain is that it's the exact same kind of crystal that was found in Station Square last month." She looked at another reporter. "Yes."

"Has the Remerson Administration developed a concrete plan to neutralize and defeat Dr. Robotnik?"

"Yes, but we cannot give details at this time."

As the press secretary indicated another reporter to go ahead, Dr. Eggman switched the screen off.

"All guts… no glory," he muttered, crossing his arms.

Still, he told himself that, while they didn't pose the biggest threat, he should be cautious of them nonetheless. While he was expecting them to attack the base eventually, he was completely oblivious to the sneak attack the other night. He did not see it coming. He would never forgive GUN for that. Now that his guard was back up, he fully expected them to finish what they started.

Apparently a GUN force _magically_ got through his force field, and fought a few robots, creating an explosion that wiped out a good chunk of his fortress. He was worried that the government special forces had also made away with the Chaos Emerald, but several robots he had deployed to the scene had informed him that it was still there. It had been buried under eight feet of wreckage.

Cleanup efforts had gone into day four of who knows how long. It would take about a week and a half at the least to fully repair. The damage was simply that extreme. At least the generator itself was miraculously spared.

Eggman was somewhat surprised to see that Rouge the Bat was among the GUN forces. She must have been spying on her at the time of the Chaos Control blast. As much as he hated working with her, she sometimes proved to be a somewhat useful liability.

"My processors indicate you are thinking of the GUN attack again," Bocoe stated.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," grumbled Eggman.

"Should action be taken in the event of their return?" asked Decoe.

"Oh you can count on it. It's _inevitable_ ," Eggman said rising from his seat. "The attack can happen as soon as today, which is why I want you two to organize defenses around the headquarters and prepare for company."

"At once, Doctor," the two robots saluted before leaving the room.

Eggman knew lightning could strike twice. And this time he would be more than ready for it.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

"Look, Amy! There's my house!"

As we flew over the city, Frances had been pointing down to various parts of the city. She was growing to enjoy the trip, even if we weren't even close to the Chaos Emerald yet.

"Do you see it?" she asked.

"Which one?" Amy asked, peering down at the neighborhood below us.

"The one with the red roof," Frances said.

"Yeah, I see it," responded Amy.

"I think it's the best house I've lived in," said Frances. "If you want, do you want to come over and visit?"

"Sure, I'd love to," Amy said.

Frances began to get excited. "Then we can get to know each other better, oh, and I can introduce you to my friend Helen as well!"

"That would be great!" beamed Amy. "It's a date, then!"

They continued chatting about when to come over and other girly stuff, leaving me intrigued at the fact that they were already pretty much fast friends despite having just met moments ago. Just like with me and Sonic… Was this a thing with Mobians? Were they always this friendly and awesome to be around?

...Perhaps. I must have been the luckiest kid on Earth, and there was plenty of it to go around.

"Hey Tails, fly us over the school!" requested Frances. Tails seemed not to hear; he was busy concentrating on homing in on the Chaos Emerald's signal.

"She wants you to fly over the school," I repeated.

"We're not sightseeing today," Tails said. "We need to find the third Chaos Emerald before Eggman does. Priorities first. Maybe we can tour the city another time."

"Oh, okay," relented Frances with a hint of disappointment in her tone.

"Hey Chris," began Tails, "I've been meaning to ask you since Frances got here, but where did you get the goggles you're wearing? I don't remember your grandpa ever saying anything about them."

"No, he didn't make them," I clarified, adjusting the goggles on my head. "Mr. Stewart gave them to me yesterday after school as a gift. He said they'll help keep the sun out of my eyes while we search for the Chaos Emeralds.

Tails raised a brow slightly. "Okay, cool," Tails remarked after a moment.

I could tell Tails was probably as perplexed as I was about the goggles. Maybe I was somehow his favorite student…? I could only guess.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

"Oh wait, there's the school!" came Frances' voice loud and clear over Mr. Stewart's radio.

School was out this Saturday morning, so Mr. Stewart was at home in his apartment, conveniently located not far Oakview Elementary. Having overheard Chris' conversation at school yesterday, he figured after school would be the best time to give Chris a pair of special goggles. The Thorndyke boy was Stewart's one and only link to Sonic, and he had to make sure he didn't know that.

The goggles came with both a one-way radio and a tracking device, perfect for his mission. Now he could intercept Chris and find out what his alien friends were doing through him.

Now that their radio chatter was within range, Stewart bolted from his apartment room, but walked quickly through the hall toward the elevator. Even on an urgent mission, he had to make sure not to run in the halls.

He descended the elevator and sprinted through the parking lot to his green SUV. Throwing open the driver's door, he leaned over and pressed a few hidden buttons on the control panel, bringing up an interactive radar screen. He sat down, closed the door, and started the motor while glancing at the radar. A dot was moving quickly away from his location.

As Mr. Stewart backed out of the parking lot, only one mission was in his mind: spy on Christopher Thorndyke from a distance, learn what the Chaos Emeralds are used for, and potentially make off with one of them for his superiors.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

The Situation Room in the White House was packed. James Perrault and Eric Westwood had been called in from California to discuss the infiltration mission and review the attack plan before it was executed. Also present were the President and a few advisers.

"Okay, Captain, can you present your data from your mission?" the President requested.

Nodding, Westwood used his laptop to project the map he had created onto a presentation screen set up on one wall.

"As you can see, the fortress has six stories," Westwood said, pointing to them as he spoke. "The generator is a large room near the center of the fortress, taking up the first and second floors of said space. The room containing the generator has two concealed doors leading to it, as does the breaker room above it. The two rooms are connected via a maintenance ladder and hatch. This is firsthand knowledge from Topaz and Rouge, who were the only ones in that sector."

"Excellent work," commended the President. "I must admit, Rouge has taken to GUN like a fish to water. In fact, she is the perfect addition to their ranks."

Turning to Perrault, he asked, "Could you review your attack plan with us? The sooner this is done, the sooner we can take action. In fact, it can be done as soon as today."

"Certainly, Mr. President," Perrault said, turning to several models on the table among them. Recently 3D printed, the models were based on imagery obtained from GUN of the fortress itself.

"We have devised a two-pronged diversionary assault on the base from both the Navy and the Air Force," a four-star general said. "They will launch a frontal assault on the fortress, and provide cover for the GUN forces." He gestured for Perrault to go next.

"Forces in GUN Division Alpha, including Topaz and Rouge, will sneak onto the island from the opposite side," Perrault added, moving a model boat to a location near the back of the fortress. "Their jurisdiction is to ensure the secure capture of Dr. Robotnik and the demolition of the generator, and, by extension, the rest of the fortress."

"Speaking of capturing," the President began, and Perrault had an idea of what he was about to imply. "You and Captain Westwood have attempted to enlist Sonic by force. That was not the best approach to gain his favor and alliance."

"I realized that in hindsight," Perrault said. "I sincerely apologize for the execution of his enlistment."

"What's done is done," pardoned President Remerson. "Besides, I'm sure Sonic wasn't even aware of the operation. If it wasn't for you, GUN would not have recruited Rouge the Bat."

Westwood let that sink in. Perhaps, sometimes, there _could_ be some good out of bad plans…

"This time, though, we have agreed to attempt a more diplomatic approach," Rod Stafford added. "GUN is not exactly the right organization to carry out such a task, so I have dispatched an envoy to request his assistance."

"Mr. Wise, I presume," Westwood guessed, and both the President and Stafford nodded at the same time.

This could be interesting. While Westwood didn't really trust Jerome, there was something to his mannerisms that intrigued him...

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Having stepped out of the limousine with three Secret Service bodyguards, Jerome Wise walked up to the front door of the Thorndyke household and knocked on the door. He honestly couldn't believe GUN didn't capture Sonic the Hedgehog the other night. They literally had one job. At least they failed successfully. With Rouge potentially on their side, the government had a good shot at learning more about the aliens.

At last the door was opened by the household's maid. At least _someone_ was home…

"M-Mr. Wise," Ella stammered, taken aback at the sight of such an important figure at her door. Jerome wanted to say a witty comment, but refrained from it. Business was business.

"Is Sonic the Hedgehog here?" he asked.

"He is not," responded Ella, having regained his composure. "What, may I ask, do you need him for?"

"I am here to inform the Thorndyke household that the United States Military is going to conduct an attack on Doctor Robotnik's headquarters as soon as possible. The government seeks to recruit Sonic the Hedgehog to assist them in their endeavours."

"But is that really necessary?" Ella asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Jerome said. "Rest assured we will not hold him against his will. At the same time, it is vital that he complies, as we have observed that he is the only one who is truly capable of consistently defeating Robotnik. He wields powers none of us could ever fathom." He shifted his position at the doorstep. "Should he accept, then when Robotnik is no more, the government will acknowledge and ensure the citizenships and livelihood of Sonic and his alien friends."

Just then Tanaka entered the foyer, having overheard the commotion. His eyebrows raised a little upon seeing the Chief of Staff standing in the doorway.

"May I ask what brings you here, sir?" he asked politely.

"We mandate Sonic's assistance if we are to efficiently defeat Dr. Robotnik," Jerome repeated. "Do you agree?"

"Sir, we understand your request, and I'm sure Sonic is more than willing to help, but as you may have seen in times past, it is quite possible for Sonic to defeat Robotnik without the aid of the government. He has not once failed in putting an end to his schemes in his time here. I don't wish to be rude, sir, but you've seen his example; he needs no persuasion."

To Tanaka's and Ella's surprise, Jerome seemed to be taken aback, as he didn't speak for a moment. Perhaps Tanaka did get through to him.

"...Okay then…" he said. "Thank you for the clarification. However, we will still need Sonic to take care of the doctor within, say, twenty-four hours." He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a piece of paper with a phone number written on it, and handed it to Tanaka. "Call this number should Sonic decide to work with us. Have a good day."

He walked away with the bodyguards, and Tanaka shut the door behind them. Both were relieved that that was over. As much as they wanted Robotnik gone, they didn't know if they could trust Sonic being in the hands of the government.

"That went off easier than I thought," Ella remarked.

"I wish the military luck on their attack," said Tanaka. "In the meantime, I will inform Sonic about this whenever he-"

Just then there was another knock on the door. Their nerves were still up, and it was understandable why Ella hesitated to answer the door. It could be Jerome returning to change his mind. Then they would be in real trouble.

Knowing that someone had to do it, Tanaka walked over the door and opened it. To his and Ella's relief, it was Sonic who stepped into the foyer.

"Welcome back, Master Sonic," he said as formally as he could muster. "Did you hear any of that just now?"

"I heard everything," Sonic answered. "I came back just in time to see the guy's limo in the driveway. I figured I'd stay out of sight and not say anything because, y'know, it would make the moment awkward." He leaned against the wall. "Besides, Tanaka, you're right. I don't need the government's help to take down Eggman, but I'd still appreciate their aid. The more, the merrier, you know?"

"They gave you twenty-four hours," Ella recalled.

"I don't _need_ twenty-four hours," Sonic stated with confidence.

"So what do you plan to do?" asked Ella.

Sonic took a few steps further into the room. "Is Tails here?" he asked.

"He left nearly half an hour ago," Tanaka explained. "Why?"

"Whenever he comes back," Sonic said, "I want to talk with him about payin' the doc a house call."

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

"That was Mr. Wise," one of the President's advisers said after hanging up with the Chief of Staff. "He and Sonic have reached an agreement much sooner than expected."

"Oh?" said the President, his interest piqued.

"While Mr. Wise did not see Sonic the Hedgehog at any time during his visit, he spoke with the household's butler and maid about the matter. They insisted that Sonic can take care of Robotnik on his own without the government's help. However, he gave Sonic twenty-four hours to do it."

"Interesting development…" mused President Remerson. "Sonic is indeed diligent in stopping the enemy, so I will let it slide. I respect his decision, as long as the task is carried out within twenty-four hours, as Jerome has stated."

Even though his mannerisms seemed a little odd, it was good to have an alien on the President's side. He never thought he'd say that in his sixty-eight years alive. Sonic was very reliable and friendly. This reminded him, he wanted to eventually discover the name of his species.

Turning to Perrault and Westwood, he asked, "Is it true that GUN Division Alpha had lost a Chaos Emerald in Robotnik's fortress during your infiltration.

"Yes, Mr. President," Perrault said. "This is true according to Topaz and Rouge."

"I want them to try to retrieve it this time, but they need to remember to stick to the main objective." He closed his eyes. "The Emerald is extremely dangerous in the wrong hands."

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Mr. Stewart was driving west on Virginia Avenue in his pursuit of the X-Tornado.

Even though the fighter jet owned by the aliens living at Chris' mansion was increasingly widening the gap between them, the undercover teacher was fortunate to have a radar that could cover such a long distance. He would catch up to them in time.

It was nearly impossible for him to pinpoint a specific direction it was flying in. In fact, it was moving in all different directions, but it had definitely taken a more northerly path in the past ten minutes.

Taking another glance at the radar, he saw that the blip on the radar now started to fly in a specific direction - he guessed correctly that they would continue to fly north. Now they were starting to exit the city limits.

Fortunately for Mr. Stewart, Highway 101 was just up ahead. Additionally, traffic was light today, and he was driving on the left lane for maximum travel convenience.

Switching his blinker on, he moved his car to the right lane, preparing to take the highway. Within the limits and metro areas of Station Square, Highway 101 was elevated, had six lanes, and ramps, like a typical interstate.

In seconds, the teacher checked for oncoming traffic, made a right turn, and soon merged with the traffic on Highway 101. He threw another glance at the radar screen, and saw the the X-Tornado was headed in the general direction of Tingalin Villa. Now Tingalin Villa was quite a drive from Station Square. In fact, there was a chance Mr. Stewart wouldn't make it there in time. He knew he had to hurry if he were to succeed in his interception mission.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

The last half hour's labors were pretty much fruitless. We had combed through the entirety of the most populated parts of Station Square, but Tails hadn't picked up anything on his scanners. Already it looked like it was going to be a repeat of the other night. Already the air in my cabin was feeling a little tight. Already-

"How much longer are we going to be?" Amy asked with a hint of impatience, an emotion I tend to keep to myself.

"Well, there's been little to no change in the Emerald," Tails reported, "so it could still be a while… I'm certain it's in the greater Station Square area somewhere."

Silence returned, and so did my boredom. As much fun as it was to hang out with my friends, Chaos Emerald hunting was so boring. I began wondering if I should have brought a book with me or something. For once, I hoped that this Chaos Emerald was real instead of a decoy like the one at the abandoned warehouse.

Just then I noticed the green light in front of glow ever so brighter.

"Wait… I think we're getting close!" Tails announced with hope.

Elation filled me. This Emerald _was_ real!

"Can you get an idea of where it is?" I asked. Tails glanced at the radar he had pulled up on the Miles Electric next to him.

"It's east-northeast of here, up in Tingalin Villa," he reported.

He eased on the controls, and we banked slightly to the right, bound for Tingalin Villa. I had never been there before, but I heard there was a lot of farmland up there.

"I gotta warn you guys that we may run into some turbulence as we approach the Chaos Emerald," Tails warned, surprising me.

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Could it be a rogue signal the Chaos Emerald is giving off?" Amy speculated.

"I think that's what is was," answered Tails. "It happened to me when I was flying over Diamond Stadium, where I found the second Emerald. The shaking was violent, but at the same time, there didn't seem to be a risk of crashing."

"Are you going to be okay, Frances?" I heard Amy asked in the other cabin.

"I hope so…" Frances said quietly. "I've only been in a jet once, and that was when I was little, and I've never dealt with turbulence before."

While I couldn't see Amy or Frances from where I was, in the tension that followed, I could tell that Amy was thinking, "Oh boy; this could be a problem…"

"Tails, how long did the turbulence last for you at Diamond Stadium?" Amy asked.

"...Maybe thirty seconds…? Tails guessed. "It could be longer in this case, though, since we're higher up in the air."

"When is it due to hit?" I asked, preparing myself for the shaking.

"I don't know," he answered. "It could literally happen at any time." He glanced at the radar screen on the X-Tornado's dash, then at the Miles Electric next to him to cross-check his data. "It's still thirty miles away from us, so I don't imagine it's going to be that much longer."

We flew onward, and I felt like talking would help ease our nerves, especially Frances. If she's never really flown before, then she especially needed our comfort.

"Is this going to be your third Chaos Emerald?" she asked.

"Technically yes," the kitsune replied, "but Eggman has one of them at his base now."

"What are they like?" asked Frances.

"Well, long story short, they are powerful gemstones that can be used to power machines and grant immense power to certain individuals, such as Sonic," Amy explained.

We began to descend toward Tingalin Villa, and sure enough, we ban to feel the turbulence. I braced myself as it picked up slightly.

Now I've been in planes before, several times before, in fact. I've dealt with turbulence a few times, but this was the first time I've experienced turbulence in the X-Tornado. It hit a bit harder than I was expecting. That was probably because a Chaos Emerald was involved. Granted, artificial turbulence was a strange thing to go through. I could hear Amy assuring Frances it was going to be okay.

"It's like an earthquake in the sky," I blurted before I realized it.

Tails pondered my sudden burst of logic. "Well, you're not wrong…" he said with some amusement after a moment.

The next five minutes were long, and the shaking continues to persist and intensify. I don't think I ever recall being in an earthquake that strong before. In fact, I had to hold onto the sides of my compartment to avoid accidentally hitting my head on the canopy. I could hear remarks of how strong it was, and I could tell that Frances was a bit frightened. As the ground became closer, I started to get a little more nervous.

"Hey guys, it looks like we're going to have to land in a cornfield," Tails announced. "There's no pavement down there anywhere, so I'll have to make do.

As we neared the ground, the turbulence suddenly died down, bringing relief to all of us. I looked down to see the tall, ripe stalks of corn. Harvest was due to begin any day now.

Tails was able to make a perfect three-point landing in an aisle between plots of corn, so as not to damage any of the crop. It took seconds for us to make a complete stop.

"Um… Aren't we… trespassing?" Frances asked, breaking the suddenly quiet atmosphere.

"Kinda," Tails replied, "but we'll be out of here before long… I hope."

I surveyed our surroundings, appreciating how silent it was around us all of a sudden. "So… I take it the Chaos Emerald's somewhere in this cornfield…?"

"It's so big…" Frances whispered, also looking around. "It's going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

"Then I guess we'd better get a start on our search," Amy proposed.

She must have been about to open her canopy, for Tails stopped her.

"No need," he spoke up. "We can look from here."

This surprised me. Surely we would need to get out of the plane in order to look.

"How?" I asked. "I know you've got a radar on the Miles Electric, but…"

"You'll see," Tails assured, smiling knowingly.

The fox pressed a few buttons on the console, and several changes began to take place within the X-Tornado's mechanics. The plane's booster rockets gradually moved downward until the entire thing was _standing_ on them like they were legs. In fact, we started to rise up, with the new "legs" being the only thing that supported us.

Next, the two sets of wings rotated about ninety degrees, and the two cabins we were seated in detached from their bases, and I could feel them rise another two feet into the air.

"What's going on?" Frances asked in confusion as the transformation was finishing.

"Surprise~!" Tails and Amy said at the same time.

"So you make this turn into some kind of walker?" I asked, looking down at our surrounding. Tails nodded.

"Mm-hmm," Tails nodded. "I call this transformation the X-Cyclone, and yes, it can indeed walk. It can also transform in midair and land in this mode.

"And can it make Belgian waffles too?" I joked.

"No, though I suppose I _could_ do something about that," Tails chuckles.

To all of us, he said, "Okay, we're going to take the X-Cyclone for a walk around the perimeter of the farm to see how close we can get to the Chaos Emerald. Once we're close enough, we'll all get out and pick it up."

After a couple taps on the Miles Electric's touchscreen, Tails changed the radar to one that had a shorter range, which dimmed the Chaos Emerald's glow. Then he took the controls again and set the X-Cyclone forward through the corn.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Today, traffic was fairly light on this stretch of the 101 as Mr. Stewart cruised northward. For this he was glad, as he didn't have to worry about being held up on his way to Tingalin Villa.

By this point, he was leaving the city limits. Tingalin Villa was still a ways off, and Chris' dot on the radar had finally stopped in one spot of the farmland. Chris and his friends must have landed there.

For all Mr. Stewart knew, the only reason Chris and his friends flew all the way out to Tingalin Villa would be to acquire a Chaos Emerald. If that was the case, this would make number three. This raised a few questions for the undercover teacher. How many more of these Chaos Emeralds were out there? What were the aliens planning to use them for? What was _Dr. Robotnik_ planning to use them for?

Whatever the answers were, Stewart knew he had to claim a Chaos Emerald for himself and take it to his agency for analysis. He was still thinking about how he was to go about it though. Fortunately, he was excellent at coming up with plans on the fly.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

We had been wandering around the farm for about seven minutes now in search of the Chaos Emerald's exact location. Sometimes the Emerald in the console would get brighter or dimmer depending on our distance. The X-Cyclone's transformation was surprisingly fast; definitely faster than running.

The Chaos Emerald began to get brighter and brighter after a while, and when it was as bright as it would get without us trading on the corn, we felt a slight jolt as Tails stopped the X-Cyclone.

"I think we're close enough," he announced before pressing two buttons that opened both canopies. "Everyone out!"

Of course, we couldn't disembark on our own, as the X-Tornado still didn't have a built-in ladder yet, so Tails helped us all down with the aid of his namesakes. I still couldn't believe he could actually fly. Now I'll never think of flying foxes the same way again.

Now that we were all on solid ground once again, Tails walked over to the edge of one of the plots of corn. "It should be right around there," he said, gesturing just inside the plot.

We followed him about ten feet into the plot, and found that the Chaos Emerald was not in plain sight. This didn't really surprise me, as the last Emerald was also buried, Tails had told me.

"It's buried," Amy remarked, stating the obvious.

Frances glanced back at the X-Tornado. "Can your plane dig it out somehow, Tails?" she asked.

"No, sorry," Tails said with some regret, his ears drooping slightly. "I didn't give it any digging features."

"Which means we'll have to dig it out ourselves," Amy said.

"Yeah," I agreed. Manual labor never hurt anybody, right?

"Chris, Frances," Tails called, getting my attention. We turned to him as he gestured to a barn in the distance.

"I need you two to run over to the barn over there and see if you can bring us back four shovels for us to dig with," he requested. "Can you do that?"

I hesitated. We were already trespassing as is. But with the added prospect of digging on someone else's land, as well as sneaking into their barns and sheds… I glanced at Frances, and she had the same uneasy look as I did.

"You're not going to be in there that long," justified Amy, "and besides, no one's going to know we're just borrowing the shovels, okay? Now off you go!"

I took me another moment to think about it. It still felt… wrong, though.

I finally relented. "Come on, Frances," I said as we started toward the barn.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Rod Stafford reentered the Oval Office, where the President was seated at his desk rehearsing a speech he was to give later that day. Film crews were present to record him when it was to begin.

"I just got off the phone with General Meyer, Mr. President," he reported. "The Navy, Air Force, and GUN Division Alpha have taken up their positions and are ready to strike at your command."

"Excellent," the President said distractedly, laying his papers down.

"At the same time," Stafford continued, "military radar has detected a strange energy signature in Tingalin Villa north of Station Square. They think it is a gemstone known to the aliens as a 'Chaos Emerald'."

"Any response from Doctor Robotnik?" the President asked.

"While he has not taken action, given he has yet to pass up an opportunity to claim a Chaos Emerald, we have reason to believe he may leave the base to pick it up soon," said Stafford.

"Very well," President Remerson said. "Then there cannot be a better time to take action than now."

"There's more, Mr. President," continued Stafford. "We've received a report from our man in Station Square that Sonic's friends, both human and alien, have been observed in Tingalin Villa where the Chaos Emerald is."

"No doubt that's where Robotnik will be headed…" mused the President. "No further action should be taken in Tingalin Villa; Stewart is already on the scene to intercept them, and besides, the aliens have proven capable of defending themselves from him." He stood up and stretched. "For now, though, our priority is the doctor's headquarters. Mr. Stafford, forward my go-ahead to the military and begin the attack immediately."

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Dr. Eggman sat in his command center, absent-mindedly fidgeting with his mustache while waiting for the national news' commercial break to finally end. Decoe and Bocoe were at his side. He had turned on the news to see if there were any further developments on the invasion. He had to know everything, so he could put his 300-IQ brain to its best use.

"It is incredible how the humans have harnessed chemicals to eradicate stains," Bocoe remarked as an Oxi Clean commercial played next, featuring someone named Anthony Sullivan. Eggman found this irrelevant.

"Yeah, well, it's all just smoke and mirrors," he grumbled. "Come on, come on," he urged under his breath. "Just get on with it so I can plot my next move faster."

But it didn't 'get on with it.' It still took another two minutes of commercials, which included a somewhat humorous GEICO commercial and the umpteenth car and pharmaceutical commercials. But at last, the news finally returned.

"Breaking from Station Square," one of the reporters began, "military radars have detected an unearthly energy signature originating from Tingalin Villa. Local residents have taken to the Internet over this phenomenon, and many of them are concluding that it is the same kind of energy found within the mysterious gemstones that have been unearthed in Station Square last month and Diamond Stadium earlier this month."

"Why haven't I learned of this until just now?" Eggman pondered, his emotions rising. He stood up. "Why haven't my scanners picked this up?!"

"The distance between this fortress and Santa Rosa Island is too great for our version of the Chaos energy scanners," Decoe stated. "This has not yet been rectified."

"But we _just_ upgraded them…" muttered Eggman. He wished he could have chosen a different time to do so. Hindsight could be such a pain sometimes.

"By this time, Sonic and those affiliated with him will have discovered it," lamented Bocoe.

"...amateur footage of the mysterious plane, reported built by the aliens," the reporter continued. "It is believed to be flying toward Tingalin Villa..."

"They have indeed discovered it," stated Decoe.

"Shall I retrieve your cards, Doctor?" Bocoe requested.

"Yes, do that," Eggman said. "Any robot will help me get the job done."

So Bocoe walked over to the drawer, pulled the deck out, and handed it to Eggman, who inserted it into the appropriate slot. Soon, the doctor was watching the slots spin.

"I expect the military to launch their invasion at any time today," he told his robots, never once removing his gaze from the slots, "so Decoe, Bocoe, you two are going to hold down the fort while I am gone."

Just as the two robots were saluting, Bokkun flew into the room. "What's going on?" he asked, before his eyes also became riveted on the spinning slots.

Decoe turned to the courier robot. "The United States Military will be executing an attack on this fortress within hours," he relayed.

"Additionally," added Bocoe, "the doctor will be accompanying a robot of the slots' choice in order to prevent Sonic from obtaining the third Chaos Emerald."

This was news to Bokkun. "Wait, they found _another_ one?"

"Apparently," droned Eggman. He really needed to get in the game here. "When we get it - yes, it's a matter of _when_ \- the score will be two to one in our favor, and we will finally have an edge over that blue blight."

At last, after what seemed like an eternity given the urgency of the doctor's situation, the slots began to slow down. Eventually they stopped on a particularly formidable robot: E-35 Fujita.

"Yes!" cried Eggman, fist-pumping as he leaped out of his seat. Who needed coffee when you had a new motivation for world domination?

Bokkun looked quizzically at the robot displayed on the slots. "Hey, isn't that the robot you were going to call 'Funfun'?" he asked.

Eggman visibly cringed at the name. "Who said _I_ was going to name it that? _You_ were the one who suggested that name to me."

It was true; Bokkun wasn't the best choice to name Eggman's combat robots.

"Might I jog your memory that you suggested 'FanFanFan' before settling on Funfun?" Decoe brought up. Now it was Bokkun's turn to cringe.

"No one will take the doctor seriously if we use those names," Bocoe added.

"Of course not," Eggman declared. "I named it 'Fujita' after the name of this world's tornado wind scale. Anyway, we are wasting time. You will be able to witness its strength, as the Eggmobile as a built-in camera that streams directly to the screens." He started toward the elevator. "Hold down the fort while I'm gone!" he called behind him.

"Doctor," Decoe called, stopping him.

"I'm in a hurry," Eggman huffed. Decoe gestured to the slot machine.

"You forgot to press the confirm button," he reminded.

Muttering a half-hearted apology, Eggman ran back and jabbed the correct button before dashing back into the elevator.

As the doors closed, Bocoe looked back to the others.

"The doctor is very eccentric today," he remarked.

"Like the doctor said, time's a-wastin'!" Bokkun rallied. "We gotta batten down the hatches and prepare ourselves for a giant invasion!"

* * *

TIME SKIP.

Eggman's departure did not go unnoticed by the GUN militants stationed in boats at the island.

"Mission control, do you copy?" one of the men spoke into a radio, pausing to listen for a response. "Robotnik is outbound with one robot. I repeat: Robotnik has left the base."

" _Copy that,_ " the dispatcher spoke from the other end. " _The President has given the go-ahead for the attack. All reconnaissance units are to move out immediately._ "

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Knuckles removed his favorite hat for a moment to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He was standing outside the fence at Station Square's Eisenhower Air Force Base, watching the proceedings. He was unsure of why he was here. Perhaps it was because of the heightened military activity in this area.

The sound of several jet engines igniting startled him for a moment, and the echidna watched as at least five, maybe more fighter jets started to take off. Something told him this was not a drill.

"Squadron One is away," boomed a voice from the control tower as the military craft became airborne. "Squadron Two will launch in ten minutes."

If this was not a drill, who were they fighting…?

Then he pieced it together. Perhaps the military was launching an attack on Eggman's base! That had to be the only logical answer.

While he wasn't entirely up to speed on the latest government developments concerning Eggman, he did catch bits and pieces of the news that mentioned a possible attack. Today was the day, and he decided that he would not miss out on the action.

A plan started to formulate in the guardian's head. He would somehow get onto the base's grounds and stow himself inside one of the jets that would take him to the island. But the only problem was: should he climb over or dig under the fence?

The chain-link fence was at least thirteen feet tall, and it sported barbed wire at the top. While he would run the risk of pricking himself on the barbed wire, it would take far less time than digging.

He glanced around the base grounds. Satisfied that no one was immediately in his sight, he began to climb the fence. Even though he wore spiked mittens that didn't have fingers, he was able to climb with ease. There was no time to worry about little things like needing fingers to climb.

Knuckles vaulted himself clear over the barbed wire, landed expertly in the grounds, and dashed toward one of the planes. This was a one-way mission to Eggman's base, and he would make sure to succeed in getting the stolen Chaos Emerald back.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

Frances and I managed to find four shovels inside the barn, which, fortunately, was left unlocked. Additionally, no one was home, so we weren't caught. Still, I felt uneasy about sneaking into someone else's property… not that we weren't already trespassing to begin with.

Now, the four of us were digging in the earth for the third Chaos Emerald. Out of curiosity, I had scanned the area for animals, but didn't see any; this was not that part of the farm. There were crops as far as the eye could see.

I felt a certain thrill just being out here in the open air, going on an adventure with my friends. The absence of Dr. Eggman made things even better. Even though my arms started to tire from digging, it was definitely going to be worth it in the end.

"Hey, try not to damage the crops," Amy cautioned me. Oops. I guess I let my mind wander too much.

After a moment, Frances asked, "Are you sure this is the area, Tails? It feels like it's been ten minutes and we still haven't found it yet."

"It's around this area at least," Tails said, adding more dirt to the ever-growing pile next to him. Even though the shovel was taller than he was, he was still making do. "If we can't find it in this particular spot, we'll move over a little bit and keep digging."

Just then he stopped digging, straining to hear something in the distance. I stopped too, and became aware of the low sound of a jet engine on the horizon.

"What is it?" Frances asked.

"I don't think there are any airports around here," I remarked, "and even if there are, that jet sounds like it's flying pretty low."

"That's no jet…" Tails solemnly said. That's when I realized what was about to happen.

"It's Eggman," I said, fear rising in my voice. Amy and Tails grimly nodded.

The engines gradually got louder, and sure enough, the mad doctor himself appeared over the horizon in his Eggmobile. With him was yet another one of his robots. This one looked like a giant yellow bird, with a massive engine in its stomach. The engines started to become deafening, forcing me to cover my ears for a moment. However, I could make out a few words from Tails and Amy.

"Did you log this one in the raid, Tails?" I could hear Amy asking.

"I've never seen it before!" Tails called back. "I only saw a silhouette, and that was it."

After what felt like thirty seconds, the robot landed about a hundred yards from us, facing us, and the jet quieted down, finally bringing relief to my ears.

Eggman broke the foreboding silence that reigned. "It seems I've caught you by surprise," he stated.

"What are you doing here?" Tails "dumbly" asked, even know I knew he already knew the answer.

"Oh, you know, just enjoying the countryside, scouting the land with my robot for a suitable camping site, what on Mobius do you think I'm here for?" he said sarcastically.

Peering over his glasses, he noticed Frances next to me. This could not go well, especially since Frances and Eggman had never met face-to-face.

"Is this your new friend, Christopher?" he asked, and I could sense Frances shaking next to me. "It wasn't wise for you to bring her along, knowing full well how powerful I am."

I was through with Eggman picking on my friend. "Leave her out of this!" I demanded.

"You know the saying," the doctor countered. "The friend of an enemy is automatically my enemy. Now, to business." He extended his hand. "The Chaos Emerald."

"What makes you think there's a Chaos Emerald here?" I asked trying to be bold. Unfortunately, it's hard to be bold when you're scared silly, especially when you're a kid.

"Chris," Tails whispered, and I got the message. I probably shouldn't have let the cat out of the bag.

"Would my scanners lie to me?" Eggman asked, somewhat insulted. His expression changed to a sneer. "You are all lucky I didn't bring more robots with me; otherwise, I would make you dig up the Emerald for me. Now, are you going to be good little kids and hand it over, or do I have to resort to using my robot to get rid of you all?"

"You'll never have it, Eggman!" Tails dared. "And even if you do get it, I bet you won't be able to keep it for long. Sonic will see to that!"

"Oh really?" deadpanned Eggman. "You should have told me that as I gathered the Emeralds you had before Sonic sent us all here. Well, guess who never got them back until now."

Amy, trying her hardest not to sound overly frantic, turned to me. "Chris, call home to get Sonic here," she ordered.

"Okay," I said as I reached for my phone. However, I was distracted by Eggman's next move.

"This is one of my greatest E-Series robots, E-35 Fujita!" he proudly announced. "Now, class, who can tell me what 'Fujita' means?"

Everyone else seemed confused, even Tails. I had heard the name Fujita before, but couldn't quite remember what it meant. I couldn't say anything either, as I had to prioritize calling home.

Tails seemed to be racking his brain over this. "I should know this term, but I just don't know human terms that well yet."

"I know!" Frances piped up. "I think… it's the name of the tornado wind scale, isn't it?"

"Correct," Eggman said. "This robot will literally blow you away. Just watch."

Those were fighting words. And if he meant what he said… then we were going to be in for a world of hurt.

"Guys! Get to shelter!" shouted Tails as he flew up to the cockpit of the X-Cyclone.

As the kit worked to transform it back into the X-Tornado, a painfully slow process, I ran for all I was worth, fumbling to get the phone out of my pocket. I turned on the screen…

...only for it to not turn on. Oh no! I had forgotten to charge it this morning, and now it had run out of power!

"Frances!" I urgently called. "Frances, did you bring your phone?"

"No, I left it at home!" she replied back.

Suddenly I became aware of a low whooshing sound, similar to my dad's helicopter. I glanced behind me, and saw the massive engine in E-35's abdomen roaring to life.

But it wasn't just an engine…

"We'll start with a leisurely breeze of, say, a hundred and fifty miles per hour," Eggman announced as the fan blades gained speed.

"Run, Frances!" I shouted as we ran even faster.

We were still in the path of Fujita's giant fan and the wind it generated, which now began to buffet us. I chanced a look back, and was both awed and frightened to see that the X-Tornado was stalled in midair. It hung helplessly in that position for a few seconds more before crashing on the ground.

In the seconds that followed, I became increasingly aware of the sheer magnitude of our situation. I saw Amy being blown through the air well ahead of us. All sense of awe departed in that moment.

"Keep looking! Don't look back!" urged Frances.

My fear mounted to new heights as the wind now reached hurricane-strength.

Fear for myself.

Fear for Tails, Amy, and Frances.

Fear for what would happen if Eggman managed to get the Chaos Emerald.

There was now no way to run to the left or the right to potentially avoid the worst of the ever-increasing wind at our backs, and certainly no way to contact Sonic from here. If only I had charged my phone! Would he manage to find us, even though he had no idea we were here?!

A huge sudden gust of wind struck us, nearly blowing us off our feet. Instead, it knocked me over, and I caught myself with my hands just in time.

"Get down!" I yelled, clinging with all my might to the tall grass and corn crop. Frances dropped to the ground and did the same.

I could tell that Frances was starting to cry due to all the stress, and I felt my anger toward Eggman boiling. But there was nothing I could do about it. Now, I could feel my own skin rippling in the strong winds, and I was struggling to breathe over all the moving air and dust being kicked up by this artificial monster storm.

Suddenly I heard the sound of destruction ahead of us somewhere.

"What was that?" Frances shouted, but I could barely hear her. I dared to peer above the tall grass, which wasn't hard, given it was blowing all over the place.

I shouldn't have been surprised, but that was the emotion I had when I saw the barns being ripped to shreds in the distance. At least no one would know that it was Frances and I who took the shovels.

I felt a sudden yanking pain in my hair, making me regret looking up. I looked in dismay as my goggles sailed away at an incredible speed.

The dust swirled around us even more, and I was forced to keep my head down. It was almost like being in a dust storm, which was extreme to the point where we would risk ingesting the dust if we even so much as spoke or opened our mouths.

Deep down, I knew we were doomed. Only Sonic could save us now.

* * *

T **hird-person POV.**

"It has begun," announced Decoe.

He and Bocoe were watching on the screens as multiple fighter jets and aircraft carriers approached the island. They also had Eggman's view from the Eggmobile up on another screen, but they were too busy to watch what the doctor was up to. They had more pressing matters at hand.

"Is the force field operational?" Bocoe asked.

"Affirmative," Decoe replied, "but its power is at 47%. It has priorly been sabotaged during GUN's raid. It will take at least forty-eight hours for it to fully recharge."

"In that case," Bocoe said, "we will need to resort to exclusively offensive measures. Preparing to deploy the attack force immediately."

"Units E-11, E-12, E-13, and E-14 will suffice," stated Decoe.

"Affirmative," Bocoe said. "The E-33 units are in position to escort them, and several Badnik platoons are prepared."

As Bocoe dave the order to launch the attack forces, Decoe studies the screens. It was a good thing Eggman had built them to work together efficiently. While Decoe was programmed to plan strategies, Bocoe had the knowledge of weapons and navigation in his hard drive.

Minutes later, The fortress shook from an impact from the humans' weaponry outside.

"Damage report," Bocoe stated.

"The fortress is sustaining light damage from the air force," Decoe responded. "The shield has taken the brunt of the attack. Its power is now at 41%."

As another E-11 Beacon was launched, followed by a wave of Buzz Bombers, Bokkun flew back into the command center. He had been pretty restless today.

"Are they here yet?" he asked with an undertone of excitement.

"Affirmative," Decoe announced, looking back up at the monitor where the battle was now in full swing. "The invasion has begun."

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Topaz's GUN platoon was disembarking from the battleship they had arrived on and preparing to board two boats bound for the island. The sounds of weaponry and explosions filled the ears of Topaz, Rouge, and the dozen GUN soldiers present.

"Thank goodness we're not the diversion…" mused Topaz as she scanned the skies.

"You guys are sure losing a lot of planes up there," remarked Rouge while readjusting her balaclava. It was a good thing she still had it with her when she was transported here.

"Keep your head in the game, not in the clouds," Topaz cautioned. Rouge nodded, even though Topaz seemed hypocritical.

The next minute seemed slow and uneasy as they finally reached the island and disembarked from the boats.

"Remember the mission, everyone," Topaz spoke above the crowd. "Since Rouge is physically stronger than the rest of us, she's going to clear us a path to the generator. Then we're gonna blow a hole in the joint and go home."

"That's what I like to hear," said a motivated Rouge.

"Ma'am, what about the Chaos Emerald?" one soldier asked.

"Get it at all costs," Topaz instructed. "It must not remain in the wrong hands any longer."

"It couldn't be in safer hands than ours," Rouge remarked. She spoke more of herself than the rest of GUN, mostly because she wanted the Chaos Emeralds in Mobian hands more than government hands.

Slipping her face mask on, the GUN troop began their advance toward the fortress.

This is it...

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

FOX News continued to play in the Thorndyke Mansion living room. Cream had agreed to leave it on this channel, as she wanted to see what all was going on concerning the imminent attack.

Even though Cream wasn't one to normally watch the news of her own choice, she had become mesmerized by all the talk on the day's events. In fact, it would be soothing if it weren't so serious.

Cheese was snuggled next to her on the couch. Just as they were starting to drift off to sleep, the sound of a FOX News alert roused her. This could only mean there was a breaking new development on the invasion story. Perhaps Sonic was involved…?

"This is a FOX News Alert," the anchor spoke. "President Remerson is about to deliver a speech concerning Robotnik. Let's listen."

"My fellow Americans," the President began, and Cream leaned closer to the TV. "The United States has officially declared war on Doctor Robotnik, better known as Doctor Eggman. Today, the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, and Alpha division of the Guardian Units of Nations have been deployed on a mission to destroy his fortress and take the doctor prisoner, dead or alive. Despite numerous warnings, he has continued to threaten the peace and wellbeing of our country time and again. As we are well aware, he has committed various atrocities, including damaging Station Square's buildings and infrastructure, and neutralizing federal satellites. Doctor Robotnik's ultimate goal is to conquer the entire planet and transform into what he has dubbed his 'Eggman Empire'. We will not allow this. He will be subdued, neutralized, and defeated at all costs."

This was big news. The invasion had finally begun.

Motivated, Cream climbed down from the couch. "Cheese, we need to tell Mr. Sonic about this!" she said.

"No need," came Sonic's voice from the doorway. "I saw it all, and I gotta admit, it didn't take the government long at all to make their move."

"How long have you been here, Mr. Sonic?" Cream asked.

"About fifteen minutes," Sonic said.

Cream was surprised. She hadn't heard Sonic return home, since she was engrossed in the news.

"I gotta check if Tails is back yet. He needs to know about this," Sonic said before dashing out the side door toward the garage.

He threw open the garage door and scaled the stairs before opening the lab door. Chuck was seated in his desk chair on his computer, listening to the Rick Shaw Hour on the radio. The radio talk show host was talking about the raid a few days ago.

"Tails isn't back yet?" Sonic asked.

Chuck shook his head. "He's been gone for the past hour or so. Maybe it was forty-five minutes. They should be back any time now." He swiveled his seat to face the hedgehog. "Why do you ask?"

"Did you see the news just now?" pressed Sonic.

"You mean the attack?" Chuck guessed. "Yes, I just saw it on Drudge Report."

"'Cuz I really need to tell him about this. There isn't a better time to get out there and kick Eggman's butt. I'll give him a few more minutes."

Sonic knew that Tails wasn't usually away from home for this long. He knew Amy and Chris were with him, as was one of Chris' classmates. But still… Time was of the essence.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Mr. Stewart was well out of town by this point. He had finally reached Tingalin Villa Road, a major artery that passed through the farmlands, connecting Highway 101 with Interstate 5. Traffic was exceptionally light, which meant he had smooth sailing so far.

Curiously, the wind was starting to pick up. According to the built-in touchscreen in his car, it was a steady twenty miles per hour. Mr. Stewart frowned. It was only partly cloudy, and there was no wind in the forecast.

Just as he was looking back to the road, he caught sight of the blip on the radar suddenly moving west. Chris must have taken off exceptionally quickly. That plane of theirs could work wonders...

But when the blip crossed the road, heralding no engine sound whatsoever, this raised red flags in the teacher's head. He quickly rolled down the window and stuck his head out, searching the sky for any sign of the plane. But it was nowhere in sight.

While the wind was somewhat refreshing, it was really unexpected, and even somewhat unnatural. Baffled, he rolled his window back up and continued driving straight for another five hundred yards.

As he drove on, the wind, which was coming at him primarily from 2 o'clock, increased to a steady thirty miles per hour, with gusts up to forty-five miles per hour. Something was not right here. The wind was blowing in only one direction, not to mention the grass and trees in the far distance weren't blowing at all.

Glancing back at his radar, he saw the blip slowing down and stopping, and began to wonder why the plane would fly so short a distance.

Unless…

He drove another hundred yards further and turned left onto a side road. Now the wind was at his 5 o'clock, which no longer offered resistance. Another two hundred yards later, he stopped the car as close as he could to the blip, which had stopped just off of the road. The wind was now around forty miles per hour, which was quite strong.

Forgetting to shift to park, he threw open the door and got out of the car, which chimed repeatedly. The wind was now quite strong, and he was already taking the brunt of the gale-force gusts.

He ran into the wildly blowing grass in search of Chris' goggles. That was the only explanation the blip would be all the way out here. It must have been good for him that he came out to Tingalin Villa at this time. He knew Chris was in that wind, and it probably blew his goggles off.

Sure enough, Mr. Stewart saw with dismay that Chris' goggles were on the ground, lying next to a fence post. He picked them up and examined them. They were a little dirty, but not broken. It was quite sturdy.

Not wanting to be out in this freakish wind any longer, he sprinted back to the car, climbed in, and slammed the door. The spy let out a sigh. He planned to eventually return the goggles to Chris, but he had to prioritize getting help for the boy first.

Suddenly the car was slammed by another huge gust of wind. Alarmed, Stewart saw that it had increased to nearly eighty miles per hour, and these weren't the gusts. Loose grass and a few leaves blew rapidly past the car. The teacher knew he shouldn't be out in these winds for much longer.

He floored the gas, speeding down the road. No way would he go back the way he came. He would have to run into an eighty-mile-per-hour headwind to do that.

He grabbed his phone and dialed a number he had put on speed dial.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

The wind continued to buffet me and Frances relentlessly and mercilessly.

"I… I can't move!" Frances shouted. "I can't hold on much longer!"

Then I thought I heard a new voice in the wind, but it whipped around us so loudly I couldn't discern it. Neither could I look for fear of getting dust in my eyes. I probably couldn't have seen anything anyway on account of the tall grass.

Then it became clearer, and I recognized it as Amy. She survived!

"Stay where you are! I'm coming! Just hang in there!"

I dared to glance up, and while I was temporarily blinded by the wildly blowing dust particles, I could make out the hedgehog hammering stakes into the ground to hang onto. However, Amy was still a good fifteen feet away from us, and in these conditions, it felt so much farther away.

I was forced to look back down or risk getting dust in my eyes and mouth. I gripped the grass even tighter.

"Is Tails all right?!" Frances called, before suddenly choking on the dust.

Trying not to lose my grip on the grass, I tried to look back to answer Frances' question. The X-Tornado was struggling to transform back into the X-Cyclone. I didn't know if he could do it in time.

"Don't look back, Chris!" Amy called from ahead of me. "Just grab the stakes and get to safety!" I don't know how she managed to not cough or lose her grip, but for that I was thankful.

"You go first, Frances," I shouted over the wind, trying not to look up.

With Amy leading the way, and me bringing up the rear, we grabbed stake after stake at a painfully slow rate. The wind was now at our backs, which surprisingly made things worse. Fortunately, Amy pounded the stakes into the ground hard enough for them to be amazingly firm.

"Is Tails going to be okay?!" Frances shouted, but it was hard to hear her.

"What did you say?" I could barely hear Amy call. After Frances repeated her question, Amy called, "I don't know! Just keep moving!"

The stakes were close enough to each other that we didn't have to reach too far to grab the next one. We were still going a lot slower than I would have liked, though.

I started to feel my grip slipping, and I even nearly flew away. I cried out, and made a mad grab for the stake to keep my grip… and hopefully, my life. My heart pounded more than it already was.

Just when you thought it couldn't possibly get any worse than this, Eggman began to speak into a loudspeaker the worst thing I could imagine at the time.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your wind forecast will be updated to a grand total of _three hundred miles per hour!_ "

Oh no.

Oh _please_ no.

"We'll never survive that!" I shouted louder than I usually do, but even so, the others could barely hear me.

And then to put the cherry on top of this cake of death, I saw the entire X-Tornado flying through the air above us. That just went to show how helpless we were.

Eggman really meant it when he said he would get rid of us.

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

Just then the phone rang. Deep down, I hoped it would be an update of some sort on the situation. Or it could be another telemarketer, but there was only one way to tell.

"It's Mr. Stewart," Chuck announced just as Cream and Cheese entered the lab. Clearly they didn't want to miss out on any of the excitement.

"Is this the Thorndyke residence?" came the teacher's voice via loudspeaker. His voice sounded strained, as if he was under stress.

"Yes, it is," Chuck said. "What's the matter?"

"I have reason to believe that your grandson and Sonic's friends, along with a fellow classmate… are in grave danger."

I leaped to my feet from off the bed I had been seated on. Grave danger… This just went from bad to mondo ugly. That's when I realized: I had let my guard down.

"They are dealing with catastrophic winds… I think Robotnik may be involved… I'm up there myself… Tingalin Villa… I was nearly run off the road myself just a moment ago."

"Thank you for informing me," Chuck said. "I'll send help as soon as possible."

He hung up, looking both shell-shocked and puzzled. As for the puzzled part, I already knew the answer, but I chose not to say anything for Chris' sake. Mr. Stewart had been sent to tail Chris. What for, I didn't know.

"You heard all that, right?" Chuck asked, regaining his voice. I grimly nodded, turning toward the trap door.

"Cream and Cheese, stay here," I told the rabbit and Chao. "I'm not going to see you get hurt too."

Both nodded. They too seemed speechless about what was happening in Tingalin Villa.

"I'll get 'em back," I vowed. "Eggman won't lay a finger on my friends." With that, I bolted from the garage and took off en route to Tingalin Villa.

Fortunately, I knew where it was located, as I had passed through there a couple of times during my runs.

I felt sick inside. I had completely let my guard down, thinking I could hand the leash of Chris' safety over to my friends. As much as I trusted Tails and Amy, though, it seemed even they weren't enough to offer Chris full protection from Eggman. Not only was he in danger, but one of his school friends had been dragged into this as well.

I had to protect Chris personally. I would not let my guard down again. Ever.

My hands tightened into fists of resolve as I picked up speed and bolted toward Tingalin Villa.

 _Hang on, Chris… I'm coming..._

* * *

 **A/N:** I won't say much so as not to spoil the mood, but here are my major changes:

 _\- The small scene with Sonic at the beginning is omitted. Doesn't mean it didn't happen, though. :)  
\- The pie is no longer present.  
\- As Jerome Wise is the Chief of Staff in this story, Christina Cooper replaces that part of his role.  
\- Eggman's scene afterward is extended to make up for his absence last chapter.  
_ _\- The various Knuckles scenes are mashed into one.  
_ _\- Herobrine has been removed.  
_ _\- Tails is suspicious about Chris' goggles.  
_ _\- Rouge and Topaz are removed from the Situation Room scene, and replaced with Perrault. How would they be in Washington then when Station Square is all the way across the country?  
_ _\- The scene with Jerome visiting the mansion has a completely different outcome._ _Also, Sonic has a bigger role in that scene.  
_ _\- Because of the fictitious geographical layout of Station Square, the direction the X-Tornado flies in is not south-southeast.  
_ _\- Hesitance is added when Chris goes to get the shovels. Also, he doesn't volunteer.  
\- Real commercials are used and parodied.  
_ _\- The last scenes in Chris' POV are more intense.  
_ _\- Also, Tails is not shown as much in said scenes, as it is told in Chris' POV.  
_ _\- The President does not flub his speech, intentionally or otherwise.  
_ _\- Scarlet Garcia is no longer overused.  
_ _\- Mr. Stewart does not mask his voice._

Until next time, everybody, Sonic Sez Happy Halloween! {*error: Fortnite Chapter 2 joke not found.*}


	13. War in the Pacific

**A/N:** So... this is the last chapter before my hiatus begins. There will be more info on that at the end of the chapter.

Anyway... guess who's even more excited for the Sonic movie than humanly possible? That trailer was nothing short of _awesome_. The redesign, they _nailed_ it. Thank you, Tyson Hesse!

I've said it before, mostly on the Sonic movie subreddit, but I've never been more excited for Valentine's Day in my life. And I'm single!

On a related note, some of you may or may not have heard that Sonic X is coming to Netflix on December 1 (thanks, **kitsune** , for pointing that out). It's unknown if the Metarex Saga will be included, but it's looking like we'll get both the Japanese and English versions. It's already on Hulu and Amazon Video, but now Netflix customers can enjoy it as well.

As my leatest couple chapters aren't quite reaching 15k words, I'm making 10k my new minimum to strive for.

I am currently in the middle of editing the first chapter. Like I said in the opening author's notes of the first chapter, as my writing skills improve, I might go back to work on previous chapters. I will do this with all chapters, but particularly 1-3 and 6-8. I will post these updated versions on Archive Of Our Own and DeviantArt first to attract larger audiences before updating this version of the story.

It's hard to imagine that this story is over a year old now. It's been an incredible journey thus far. Thank you all for the **75** reviews, **53** favorites, **56** follows, and nearly **16,000** views!

Thank you, **rodrigoople. 3321outlook. as** and **PastaTacos785** , for favoriting and following!

Now on to the chapter. This is the conclusion of the "Beating Eggman" arc, as well as the New World Saga as a whole. This has been one of my favorite sagas in Sonic X, because while it had its action scenes, it was also easygoing. The slice of life scenes, while difficult to write, we also a lot of fun to reread in the end.

There will be a heads-up, however. I'm issuing a **WARNING** for a bit of violence and injury in Chris' first scene; I won't go into details for spoilers' sake.

Also, I am renaming the E-18 Guerra-Hard. I was originally going to call it the Egg Marauder, but after translating its eyecatch card, I found out that its Japanese name is ガラハド (Garahadu). I suspected the name "Guerra-Hard" to be an error in translation. Therefore, I'm going to rename it the Egg Galahad, after the knight in King Arthur.

With that being said, let's move on to the reviews and what matters most: the story!

* * *

 _ **SuperTailsFan0812**_

 _I loved chapter 12. this was one of the intense chapter I ever saw. I also hope that Tails will be okay._

 _Also, You forgot to put an end quote when Chris was explaining to Tails about his goggles._

 _Anyways, I loved the chapter and can not wait for the next one. Keep up the fantastic work._

 **If you thought _that_ chapter was intense, you might want to buckle your seat belt for this one. It's going to be quite a ride.**

 **Thanks for pointing that out. I'm aware I've made a few typos across a few chapters, so I'm going back through my older chapters to tidy them up a bit.**

 **I'm glad you loved the last chapter. Here's the next one!**

 _ **kitsune**_ _(first review)_

 _continue with your story, it is really good(sorry for my lenguage, i am french)_

 ** _Merci!_ Here's the next chapter!**

 _ **Animation Adventures**_

 _Okay, this one I definitely remember. It was the show's first two-parter._

 _I can see change in the Knuckles scenes, and I continue to like how the gang is suspicious about things involving Mr. Stewart like the goggles. I know Chris is a kid, but I have to wonder why he never thought that was weird._

 _Looking back, I can see how Funfun would be a strange name for an Eggman robot. I just accepted it as one of those things that were a part of Sonic X, I suppose._

 _I also like that Rouge is aware of what the government getting their hands on the Chaos Emeralds could mean, and along with her own personal interest in gems and jewelry, has a heroic motive in wanting to keep them in hands that know how to handle them right._

 _Looking forward to part 2 of the Eggman Base Attack!_

 **It is weird how no was never suspicious of Mr. Stewart, especially in "Sewer Search", in which everyone was all like, "Nah, he totally couldn't be a spy."**

 **Because of all the show's strange robot names, that's why I decoded to go ahead and rename a lot of them. However, you'll be glad to know I'm keeping the name "Eggsterminator" for the Season 1 finale.**

 **From the moment I started writing with Rouge, I knew she had to have a personality change. Sure, she could keep her flirtatious degree, but I wouldn't have her prioritize jewels over other things. Take "Countdown to Chaos", for example. She was more concerned over the Chaos Emeralds than Chris' safety. That isn't maturity at all.**

 **Anyway, here's the conclusion of the base attack!**

 _ **D.J. Scales**_

 _So the invasion has begun. This is gonna be epic but I have a terrible feeling that Eggman has a more sinister plan of retaliation in mind._

 **You can guarantee he has a backup plan ready. In fact, I'm sure every backup plan of his has a backup plan of its own. He always thinks at least two steps ahead.**

 _ **kitsune**_

 _sonic x go on netflix! Good chapter, exited for the next!_

 **Thanks for telling me about that! Here's the next chapter!**

 _ **Rose**_

 _Update please_

 **You bet! ;)**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: We are not liable for any damages caused to Dr. Eggman's headquarters. However, it is protected with a 90-day warranty. Plus, the doc has insurance. That's cool, too._

* * *

 **War in the Pacific**

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Having disembarked from the two boats, Topaz's GUN force set foot on the island and made their advance toward Dr. Eggman's fortress. It was a wonder no immediate robot threats for them to deal with at the moment. Topaz figured they were all preoccupied with the main diversion. For someone of Eggman's brilliance, she thought he would have spotted them by now.

Just then Rouge flew into the invisible force field and landed hard on the ground.

"You okay?" Topaz asked.

"Peachy," the bat replied as she sat up, holding her sore head. "But it seems Eggman repaired the force field much sooner than we anticipated."

"I already thought of that," said Topaz. Turning to one soldier who was holding the hole-creating device they brought during their last mission, she said, "You know what to do."

"Yes, ma'am," the soldier saluted before pressing the flat end of the device against the force field. A hole began to expand in the fabric of the energy, large enough for everyone to step through.

"Listen up, troops," Topaz announced over the din of the war as everyone crossed to the other side of the force field. "We're going to enter the fortress the same way we did last time: through a hole in the wall. It should still be there, as we have predicted Robotnik will focus his repairs on functional components rather than cosmetic ones."

"Eggman suspected nothing of us last time," Rouge added, "and with our combined effort, he won't stop us this time either."

"Don't get too ahead of yourself, Rouge," chided Topaz. "The guard is going to be _much_ higher inside this time around."

" _That's_ for sure," agreed Rouge.

They were silent as they proceeded toward the fortress. The terrain sloped gently upward, which made their advance fairly simple if it weren't for the imposing threat of robot attacks.

"Good thing Eggman left when he did," commented Rouge. "Chances are pretty good the robots he left in charge aren't going to be nearly as efficient in their jobs as they would be under Eggman's direct command."

"True, perhaps," Topaz responded, "but there will still be robots in there, and they can still kill."

"Since when has that ever stopped me before, hon?" replied a confident Rouge with a wink.

"They spotted us," one soldier reported just as they reached the hole in the wall. Just as Topaz had predicted, it wasn't patched up. In fact, it appeared as though Eggman had never done anything about it.

"Inside! Now!" ordered Topaz.

Topaz, Rouge, and all twelve of the soldiers made a mad scramble through the hole just as an E-11 Beacon opened fire on them. Once inside, the Beacon pulled up again, and the group took a moment to let the sudden adrenaline rush die down.

"Well… now we know they can fly through the force field…" Rouge dryly remarked.

"Casualty report," Topaz calmly stated.

As the rest of the soldiers reorganized and began to adjust to the darkness of the closet they were in, Rouge carefully looked outside, and saw a few burn holes in the GUN vests of the fallen.

"We lost two men," she reported.

Topaz didn't speak for a moment - a moment of silence for the slain.

"It's too dangerous to turn back now," Topaz said right before a few explosions rained down on the force field above them. "Going forward is our only option."

She then asked, "Rouge, any idea how that thing was able to shoot at us from within the force field?"

"The way I see it, it's engineered for the protection of Eggman's robots and ammunition only. Any other individual and vehicle would be repelled. I should probably check to see how bad it is on the other side."

"Careful now," cautioned Topaz. "We need to keep the element of surprise on our side."

Rouge nodded and turned to the door. She gingerly turned the handle and peeked outside. A few seconds later, she turned back to Topaz.

"I only saw a few Egg Pawns in the immediate area," she reported.

"Egg Pawns…" mused Topaz. "Tell me what those are again."

"Basically your everyday foot soldiers."

Topaz nodded. "Everyone, get ready. We're going in."

The soldiers primed their firearms, and, after a three-second countdown from Topaz, broke down the door, guns ablaze. The GUN soldiers' weapons made short work of the Egg Pawns. Some of them bore shields and lances, but they proved to be no match for Rouge' fancy footwork. Once all the Pawns were down, Rouge landed next to Topaz.

"I don't like this…" Rouge grimaced. "Something is definitely up here…"

"Is it that there shouldn't have been that few robots at the main entry point?" Topaz asked.

Rouge nodded. "It's almost as if Eggman _wants_ us to advance."

"You're absolutely right," Topaz said. "It's unnerving. We have to keep our guard up at all times and be ready for anything. Lead the way, Rouge."

They began to proceed forward through the fortress. Despite the unexpected setbacks, they were still moving at a good clip, until Rouge suddenly stopped.

"What's up?" Topaz asked with concern.

"We've got company inbound in mere seconds," Rouge stated grimly.

Topaz was bewildered. "I can't hear anything; how can you even tell?" she asked.

"We bats have excellent hearing, hon," Rouge said matter-of-factly. "They should be here right about… now!"

Suddenly an E-12 Behemoth appeared out of nowhere, blocking their path. It was flanked by several Motobugs. Rouge mentally facepalmed. She was hoping she wouldn't have to encounter an E-Series robot this early in the mission. They would have quite the fight ahead of them.

To make matters worse, the base's alarm sounded, bathing everyone in an intermittent red glow. The intercom crackled to life.

"Intruders have been detected in sector A1," Decoe spoke over the intercom. "All available units take positions at the generator entrance points."

Even though Rouge knew they were on to them, that didn't mean they had the advantage by any means. She was more than ready for a fight against whatever Eggman threw at them.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

 **WARNING STARTS HERE.**

By this point, the wind generated by E-35 Fujita was quite unbearable. It mercilessly ravaged through Tingalin Villa, causing me to choke on the dust it kicked up. The fact that the rapidly moving air made it hard to breathe didn't make things any better. Furthermore, I was forced to shut my eyes, as the extreme wind made them water. I gripped the stake in front of me tighter, but I didn't know if even that was enough to save me.

If I thought _I_ had it bad, Tails was in a more life-threatening situation. The wind, which was approaching three hundred miles per hour, levitated the entire X-Cyclone and threw it helplessly over our heads like a toddler's toy. If it could sail like that, how much easier would it be for the wind to blow me, Frances, and Amy away as well?!

With a sickening crunch, the X-Tornado finally came to rest about fifty yards ahead of us, garnering a sardonic laugh from Eggman through the loudspeaker. If I thought I hated him before, believe me when I say my grudge for him is bigger than his over me.

"I… I'm losing my grip!" Frances shouted from ahead of me.

"No matter what happens," Amy called back, " _don't let goooo!_ "

Her determination drove me to grip the stake until my knuckles turned white - not that I was looking. Then the unthinkable happened.

Frances' grip on her stake slipped, and she started to fly through the air as if she weighed nothing. Amy tried to catch her, but the act of removing only one hand from the stake made her lose her grip as well. Even though their screams of fright was absorbed by the wind, they still echoed through my head.

I felt my own grip slipping, but I refused to let go. It wasn't an option. But the intense tornado-strength wind coming from behind was too much, and I started to become airborne. I was forced to let go to avoid having my arms bend too far the wrong way.

I was truly scared for my life as I flew helplessly through the air, too scared to scream. The speed I was moving at was frightening. Why was Eggman doing this?! He could have just taken the Emerald, but now he was taking it way too far.

After an eternity of what really must have been about seven seconds, I landed hard on the ground and rolled violently for several more feet before stopping next to a wooden fence. Yes, there was a bit of pain there, but at least the wind wasn't nearly as strong at this distance, despite the strong gusts.

I must have been bruised from head to toe. In fact, my chest throbbed. I really hoped I hadn't broken a rib… I must have flown a good couple hundred yards… How did I even survive that rough landing?!

The good news was, my head and neck didn't sustain any injuries, which meant I probably wouldn't need immediate medical attention. As for my rib, though… I needed to know whether it was broken or not.

The wind had been knocked out of me upon landing, and I spent maybe a good thirty seconds getting my breath back. My chest throbbed with every breath, which I hoped was not a sign of something worse.

Very slowly and carefully, I pushed myself into a sitting position. I was pretty bruised, which is why I couldn't move much faster. Then I carefully lifted my shirt to check my chest. While my chest looked bruised to be sure, there wasn't any blood or fractures. In fact, I wasn't bleeding anywhere else, either. I was incredibly lucky. The worst pain I had was the soreness on my right side where I landed, as well as the numerous bruises on my arms and legs. I would have to take it nice and slow from here.

If only Sonic was here…

I pushed myself toward the nearest fence post and leaned myself against it. Shielding my eyes from the gusty wind from the distance, I looked around for any sign of my friends. Neither of them was in sight - a very bad sign.

"Amy!" I called, albeit weakly, and I coughed. "Frances!" I was glad no blood came up when I coughed. That would have been a disastrous sign of internal bleeding.

At least my message got through to them, though. I saw Amy in the distance standing up. Fortunately, she quickly located me and ran over as fast as she could go.

"Chris!" she called, reaching my side moments later. "Chris, are you okay?!"

"I think I got lucky," I replied hoarsely. "I don't think I broke anything, but I'm really bruised… What about you?"

"I partially fell on my hand," she said, holding her right hand gingerly. "It's probably going to be sprained for a while." She looked beyond us. "Where's Frances?"

"I don't know," I said quietly, trying to rest my voice. "I haven't seen her."

"Can you walk?" Amy tenderly asked, bending down to help me up.

"I-I can try…" I said. I started to push myself up, and Amy helped me the rest of the way to my feet. "At least I can stand… That's a start."

I was quite weak and winded from the trauma Eggman had just put me through, and my legs felt shaky from the adrenaline pumping through my veins, but I could walk, and that's all that mattered.

Once Amy was satisfied that I could support myself, she turned to the fallen X-Cyclone in the distance.

"I need to check on Tails," she told me as she headed in that direction. "See if you can find Frances!"

We parted ways, and I began to search for Frances. I threw a glance over at E-35, which was not moving and still blowing air in our general direction. Eggman seemed to be searching the ground, in case the wind somehow unearthed the Chaos Emerald. I doubted that would happen, though.

I looked down just in time to see my classmate on the ground about thirty feet from where I had just been. She was unfortunately a little worse off.

"I found her!" I called, grateful that Amy could hear me at this distance. "She's unconscious!"

"So is Tails!" she called back. "I'll be right there!"

I stood by Frances, watching as Amy pulled her hammer out of seemingly nowhere. She started to raise it, but stopped. I took it she might have been able to break the glass, but didn't want to injure Tails in the process. Additionally, a broken canopy would severely impede our flight back home.

Slowly and regretfully, she put her hammer away. It was pretty painful to watch. She looked up, then turned to me, looking alarmed.

"They're coming!" she warned. Sure enough, Eggman and E-35 were approaching us… and with two of us out cold, we were helpless to do anything. On the bright side, though, he turned down the wind a little as he approached.

Amy leaped off the X-Cyclone and urgently ran toward me. Once she reached my side, she turned to Frances.

"Quick, help me pick her up," she urged. "We need to go _now_."

She lifted the top half of Frances, but carefully, as he hand was sore. I caught on and lifted Frances' legs, and we began to carry Frances as far away from E-35 as we could.

Then it dawned on me.

"Wait! What about Tails?"

A few tears pricked Amy's eyes. "The X-Tornado can offer him some protection from Eggman. Frances, however..." she trailed off.

We heard a sickening crunch from behind us. Turning, we saw the Fujita stepping on the front of the X-Tornado. We immediately felt guilty that we couldn't do anything to help Tails, and Amy began to get emotional, completely regretting her hesitation.

Then the tide of battle turned in the blink of an eye…

At long last… Sonic the Hedgehog arrived on the scene, a grim expression on his face. I was elated. Help had finally arrived. He finally came!

It took him nothing more than a cursory glance to sum up the situation before the hedgehog surged toward E-35. However, even he had some difficulty running against the wind it produced, now that it was much stronger at the source.

We stopped running once Sonic arrived, relieved that he finally came. We watched as he executed a perfect spin attack at the Fujita's feet, sawing them off. Without a solid leg to stand on, the entire robot fell onto its back. As a reward, the sudden updraft blew Eggman away, despite his best attempts to dodge it. I was surprised that it went down so quickly.

"Keep moving!" Amy told me, snapping me from my trance. "It may be down, but it's not out!"

"O-okay," I said as we continued to carry Frances away from the scene. That didn't stop me from looking back again.

I saw Sonic rushing over to Tails, who must have just regained consciousness, as the canopy was now open. Tails looked to be quite a bit shaken up, as he was crying into Sonic' shoulder. After about thirty seconds, Sonic looked in our direction.

"It's okay, you guys!" he called. "It's down for the count!"

I looked at Amy, wondering what she thought, before she nodded her confirmation. We began to carry Frances back toward the X-Tornado, which was about one hundred feet away. By now my side was hurting more than it did earlier, mostly because of my exertion from carrying my classmate. I just hoped this whole ordeal would be over with.

Once we reached Sonic, his expression became even more grim. He grit his teeth in silent anger.

"What happened to her?" he said in a low voice, making me glad I was on his side.

"I think she landed hard when we were blown away by the robot," I said, my voice shaking.

Turning skyward, Sonic clenched his fists. "Eggman is going to _pay_ for what he did to you today."

He turned back to us. "By the way, what were you doing out here?"

"We found a Chaos Emerald," Tails piped up from the cockpit, having calmed down considerably. "Oh, that reminds me, we still need to dig it out."

"You guys have a shovel I can borrow?" asked Sonic.

Just then I noticed Frances starting to stir from where we laid her down.

"She's waking up…" I announced. All eyes turned to her, and Tails climbed down from his plane as the girl opened her eyes and tried to sit up. However, she gave a quiet yelp when trying to do so, since she had landed hard.

"Are you okay?" Sonic gently spoke.

"N-no…" Frances whispered, tears starting to well in her eyes. "How… How in the world did I survive that…?"

"You were extremely lucky," Sonic said. Turning to us, he asked, "What about the rest of you? Any broken bones?"

"I don't _think_ so," I replied, remembering my weakness which was still prevalent in me. "Just… my side hurts, and I'm bruised all over."

"And you, Amy?"

"Just my hand," she answered. "We need to make sure something like this never happens ever again."

Sonic nodded. "I know."

"Hey Frances, can you stand?" Tails asked.

"I… I don't know…"

"Here, we'll help," offered Sonic as he and Tails gently helped her to a sitting position, then up onto her feet. "How are you feeling?" Sonic asked.

"Really sore," Frances answered. "I also feel a little dizzy."

"Well, we're going to finish getting the Chaos Emerald and get out of here," Sonic said. "You all have been through a lot. This should never have happened to you."

Unfortunately, this wasn't over.

A loud rocket engine ignited, and the Fujita started to levitate into the air to atone for its lack of legs. We were all taken by surprise. It immediately generated a wind gust, but it was so weak it was almost pathetic, being comparable to a windy day at the beach.

"Everyone, run," Amy ordered on impulse.

However, we didn't need to do anything. Sonic was already way ahead of us. He reached into the satchel Tails usually had with him in the front seat, and pulled out a ring. Empowered by its essence, he curled himself into a tight ball and propelled himself directly at the heart of E-35. The wind its giant fan created offered no resistance to the hedgehog, and he burst through the robot with incredible force. It exploded, sending shrapnel directly into the air. Fortunately, none of it hit us.

The now-familiar adrenaline that was flowing through me was starting to die down, and my heart was pounding from the would-have-been threat. Only now did it hit me just how much trauma I had been through. I never wanted to go through anything like that again. In fact, I never wanted to see Dr. Eggman again either. This whole ordeal was a living nightmare, a stark reality of the cost of making friends with aliens.

Sonic was at my side in an instant, seeing the fear in my eyes. "You doing okay?" he asked.

"S-Sonic… I'm scared…" I admitted with a little hesitation. "Sonic… is it even worth going on these adventures any more…? Th-there's so much danger, and… and I almost died…"

Sonic's face softened, and he lay a supportive hand on my shoulder.

"Chris, listen to me," he said. "It's totally worth it when you've got friends who have your back all the way. Trust me, Eggman won't lay a finger on you as long as we are here. You got that?"

I slowly nodded. I was glad that Sonic was really supportive… but that didn't fix what Eggman did to us… to _me_.

"Now then…" Sonic looked over the field. "Mind if you show me where you were digging at?"

"Follow me," offered Tails. "I just hope the shovels are still there."

That was something I hadn't thought about. Maybe the wind had blown them away somewhere. Then how would we get the Chaos Emerald?

We all followed Tails as he led us back to the spot we had been digging in. It actually wasn't hard to find, as the extreme wind had severely damaged the crop in its path. Fortunately we were able to quickly locate the disturbed dirt marking the area we were searching. It was then that we made another surprising discovery as well.

"Hey, the shovels are still here…!" Tails pointed out.

"I guess the wind never blew this way," Amy said. "That's a stroke of luck for us."

Sonic was the first to pick up a shovel, followed by me, and then Amy and Tails. Frances looked questionly at us.

"You need to rest," Sonic told her. "After all, you were knocked out."

Frances nodded, slowly and painfully sitting down on the ground to watch us dig the Emerald out of the ground.

Before long, Tails lifted a shiny yellow gemstone from the earth. Victory was in the air and our hearts. Somehow… this was worth the pain earlier.

"This is our third one, guys," he announced with unbridled excitement. "Four more to go!"

Suddenly a stray laser from out of nowhere hit the ground inches from Tails, causing him to help and drop the Emerald. My heart beat a mile a minute for the thousandth time that day.

I was the furthest away from the Emerald, so I was unable to join the mad scramble for it. However, none of us were able to get it in time, as a claw suddenly grabbed it. Looking up, I saw the Eggmobile, and know just who would be seated inside.

Sonic leaped up to grab it, but the doctor saw this coming and swung the claw out of the way. Furthermore, he was too high up for Sonic to easily reach him.

"Guess who never left," Eggman taunted as he removed the Emerald from the claw's grasp and held it up. "I _knew_ I could depend on you all to my dirty work for me! Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a military to stop."

We watched the doctor fly away, and I turned to Sonic. "Aren't you going to go after him?" I asked.

Sonic took on a new determination. "Yes… but not yet."

I was confused.

"What do you mean?" asked Tails.

Sonic turned back to us. "We're going to get this Emerald and the one he stole from Diamond Stadium in one go."

"Wait, does that mean we're going to Eggman's base right now?" Amy questioned.

"Yes, now," Sonic said. He couldn't sound any more serious. "I've been meaning to tell you guys, but the government kinda made an unspoken deal with me. They say we can live here as citizens as long as we destroy Eggman's base within twenty-four hours. They've already sent forces to start the attack."

Tails looked thoughtful. "Normally I wouldn't have any qualms about that… but we can't. We all took some pretty heavy hits earlier." He rubbed the side of his head, presumably from the impact when he crashed. "...not to mention we would fly right into the heat of battle."

Sonic looked concerned. If he was stressed, he was doing a great job hiding it.

"We have no choice," he said grimly, shocking us, but most of all me. "We have absolutely no time to lose, which means there's no time to drop Chris and Frances off somewhere."

"What?!" Amy exclaimed. "Sonic, there's gotta be another way!"

"Leaving them here is our only other option, but that's just not going to work," admitted to Sonic. He turned to me. "Sorry, guys… but I know it's going to work in the end." He smirked, an expression that had really grown on me. "I've yet to lose a fight since arriving here, right?"

"I guess so…" I admitted, suddenly getting flashbacks of when I flew with Tails for the first time. While I didn't mind flying with Tails, I hated going into combat. Tails knew this, and so did Sonic. This time, there was no choice. I wasn't ready for this.

We wordlessly picked up our shovels and headed back toward the X-Cyclone, which was still lying on its side. Fortunately, Frances was able to get up by herself, but Sonic stood by in case she couldn't. My bruises were starting to get to me even more, and my chest didn't feel so great either. At least neither me nor Frances were cut anywhere.

"Stay back, guys," Tails cautioned us as he climbed back into the X-Cyclone. "I just need to get the X-Cyclone back upright and then we'll be good to go.

It took about five minutes for the fox to get his aircraft back upright. Simply put, I was scared for what was coming up within the next hour. We would have to go into combat. Just because stuff like that is cool on TV doesn't mean you always want to be in that kind of action in real life.

The five minutes seemed to take forever due to my anxiety. I mean… Eggman now had two Emeralds, leaving us with only one. Even with one Emerald, he was a major threat. Now he had two, which would spell catastrophe if he put them to good use. As much as I wanted the Emeralds to be on our side, I couldn't bear the thought of being in another dogfight.

At last, Tails opened both of the canopies.

"Finished!" he announced as he flew down and helped us inside the craft, seating us in the same spots we were in when we got here. He had to be extra careful with Amy, though, as her hand was still injured. Sonic leaped onto the wing, which surprised me a little bit. Then again, it shouldn't have; Sonic had done crazy stunts before.

"Turns out, the damage isn't as bad as I thought it would be," Tails said as went through his pre-flight procedures. "Still, it's going to need a check-up when we get home; most of the damage is in the nose cone from when E-35 nearly mutilated it." He turned to look at Sonic. "Thanks for giving me those samples of Eggman's rubber. They really saved the internal wiring today."

"Any time, Tails," Sonic said with a wink. When Sonic brought the rubber home after that unfortunate day at the resort opening, Tails had used it to reinforce some of the more critical wiring within the X-Tornado.

"Quick question," Amy said. "How's the military going to know the X-Tornado is our plane and not one of Eggman's." I thought that she raised a good point. We didn't want to accidentally indulge in friendly fire.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Tails reassured. "Sonic's becoming quite popular in this world already. Besides, they've seen the X-Tornado before; I'm sure they'll figure it out."

"Guys?" Frances spoke. "...Shouldn't we put the shovels away first…?"

"I'll take care of that," volunteered Sonic as he leaped off the wing and ran over the shovels. He paused. "...Except there's just one little problem." He jerked his thumb toward the destroyed barns. "Are those Eggman's doing?"

"Yeah," I replied. "So where are we going to put them?"

Instead of answering, Sonic simply picked up all four shovels and leaned them against the fence before returning to his spot on the wing. In this time, Tails had closed both canopies.

"Tails?" Frances spoke. "Isn't it dangerous for Sonic to, like… ride outside like that?"

Tails shrugged. "It's nothing he hasn't done before," he answered. "In fact, he's an expert at riding the wings of my planes."

Now that we were all secure, Tails repositioned the wings into flight mode (they surprisingly took minimal damage), and the boosters ignited, levitating us off the ground. After we were about fifteen feet up, Tails repositioned the X-Tornado's legs back into boosters, and we felt the cabins lowering as they clicked into place within the craft. However, there was a mechanical groan from the front compartment, the one I shared with Tails.

"Uh… What was that?" Amy asked in some alarm.

"I think our compartment's taken some damage from the impact," Tails reported. "I'll add that to my list of repairs to make." He eased the joystick forward, and we began to move. "For now, though… as Sonic would say, 'Let's crack that Eggman wide open!'"

Despite my fear, I had to smile at his confidence. Sonic had really taught him well.

We took off for Eggman's fortress, leaving behind what was essentially a war zone. I really hoped we wouldn't get in trouble for the damage Eggman had done to the farm and this year's corn supply.

 **WARNING ENDS HERE.**

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

"Topaz, have your soldiers pick off the escorts," instructed Rouge. "I'll take the E-12!"

"Hope you know what you're doing," Topaz said as she and her soldiers readied their weapons. Rouge bolted into the air right before both sides exchanged thick laser fire. Good thing the ceilings were pretty high in here.

The Behemoth aimed its left arm directly at the GUN platoon while they were occupied with the Motobugs, and began to charge energy. From her last visit to the fortress, Rouge knew exactly what it was about to do.

Wasting no time, the bat Screw Kicked its left arm off, and it fell to the floor with a metallic clang. The socket where it attached to sparked with live wires exposed.

The Behemoth immediately retaliated by attempting to swat Rouge from the sky with its remaining arm. She reared back, and Screw Kicked directly into the center of its chest. It took a bit more effort than she was normally used to. Eggman had given these robots especially thick armor. At least it wasn't the Egg Fleet-grade armor E-23 possessed.

"Heads up!" she warned as she pulled back. The troops backed away as well just before the Behemoth exploded, taking all of the remaining Motobugs with it. Surprisingly, there was little far-flying shrapnel.

"That was some seriously tough armor," Rouge quipped. "Topaz, any more robots coming this way?"

Topaz pulled out a tablet and brought up a radar screen. She studied it for a few seconds before looking up.

"Doesn't look like anyone's inbound," Topaz said. "Still, we can't be too careful…"

"Seconded," agreed Rouge. "They don't even have to come after us to deter us. Since they're all loitering at the generator, we're going to need all the manpower we can get." She looked ahead. "And lady-power, I might add."

Just then Topaz's radio alarm went off. Her hand shot down to her side to lift the radio from off her belt.

"Topaz here," she spoke.

"Our radars have detected a new object approaching the fortress," General Meyer spoke from the other end, "and with it is a very strong energy signature, just like the one a couple weeks ago."

"Is it him?" Topaz asked with some concern.

"We have a visual," Meyer grimly replied. "It's him." After a moment, he asked, "What's your status?"

"We're in and on our way to the generator now," reported Topaz.

"Copy that. Good luck, and stay safe," Meyer said.

As they broke contact, Rouge looked quizzically at Topaz, even though she knew what was happening outside.

"Look alive, boys," Topaz announced. "Eggman's on his way back now with a Chaos Emerald."

"What?!" Rouge exclaimed, more surprised about the Chaos Emerald than the doctor. "But... when did he find it to begin with?"

"It's not up to us to know why, Rouge," Topaz curtly stated. "The generator is our sole priority."

Rouge nodded, and they pressed on. Once Eggman arrived, he would have two Chaos Emeralds in his possession, which meant he would have the advantage. With two Emeralds, he would become an even more serious threat to this planet.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Decoe and Bocoe were up in the command center overseeing the invasion. This battle, which was leaning in their favor, was the most activity the soon-to-be Eggman Empire had seen since arriving on this inferior world.

Just then Decoe caught sight of a new blip on the radar screen. It was approaching the base, though at a slower rate than the average speed of the United States Air Force's aircraft. The robot knew what it was.

"Doctor Eggman is returning now," he reported. "He has a strong energy signature. I calculate an 96% chance it is the Chaos Emerald."

Bocoe activated the device to communicate directly to all deployed robots. "All units, hold your fire until Dr. Eggman is safely within the fortress," he instructed. "Additionally, the nearest Buzzbomber fleet is to escort him inside."

Just then Decoe's radio signal went off. He immediately responded to it.

"E-51, report," he said.

"The GUN platoon has destroyed the E-12 unit using overwhelming force and is advancing unhindered toward the generator," the E-51 Drill Sergeant reported.

"It is only a minor setback," amended Decoe. "Deploy another E-12 unit to stall the Guardian Units of Nations until the doctor regains control."

"Affirmative."

Once finished, Decoe turned to Bocoe in his seat. "How did GUN penetrate the energy shield and access the base?"

"My best calculation is they breached the energy shield in the same manner as their last approach," speculated Bocoe. "We must remind the doctor to strengthen the barrier once the skirmish has concluded."

Decoe took another glance at the radar. "Dr. Eggman is safely within the confines of the force field."

"All units, resume the assault," Bocoe ordered.

Immediately after he released the radio's talk button, the entire fortress shook from the impact of an exploding missile.

"The shield's power is now 8%," Decoe read from the monitor. "At this rate, it cannot last much longer; and given GUN's progress, neither will we."

Just then Bokkun flew back into the room for the third time that day. His boundless hyperactivity could make even Charmy Bee seem drab.

"I'm back from the kitchen!" he announced. "And I just heard a really loud boom just now. Anything change yet?"

Decoe turned back to look at the hovering robot. "Dr. Eggman is returning with the Chaos Emerald," he said. "He will enter this room any minute."

Bokkun paused. "Then… this means… Sonic's gonna be here soon too!"

"Affirmative," Bocoe added. "Preparations must be made accordingly."

"On the bright side, though," Bokkun said, "I'm kinda glad Dr. Eggman didn't send me out to deliver a message for Sonic. This way we can be extra sneaky!"

Seconds later, the doors to the metro elevator opened, and Eggman stepped out and entered the room, Chaos Emerald in hand.

"I'll take it from here," he announced.

"Welcome back," Bocoe said. "In your absence, we have destroyed fourteen aircraft and two ships." He paused, unsure of how his creator would react to his next piece of news. "However…"

"However _what?_ " Eggman barked.

"...This attacking force was only a diversion for a GUN platoon to access the generator. They are already inside, and we have all available robots stationed there already."

Eggman sighed. "I step out for half an hour at most and look what's happened already. This is a mess." He turned back to Decoe and Bocoe. "I trust you two have deployed plenty of robots, especially Super Badniks and E-Series robots."

"Affirmative," Bocoe said.

"I predict a 90% chance Sonic will show up within five minutes," announced Decoe.

"In that case…" nodded Eggman, "I shall make that hedgehog priority one. Launch a second wave of robots to intercept and eliminate the craft they call the X-Tornado. I'll deal with the pincushion's inevitable arrival myself."

He walked over to the console, then pressed a few buttons. A green chair rose up from the floor in the center of the room. It was designed to resemble his command chair from back in his Robotropolis days, but this chair had several different amenities, including a virtual scope and a joystick.

"What is this?" Decoe asked.

Eggman grinned. "My virtual weaponry chair," he explained. "It can be remotely connected to various large robots, but this time, I'm going to hook it up to the missile port atop the fortress."

The scientist walked toward his chair and sat down, instantly hit by a wave of nostalgia. His past, how he became what he is today, all of it came back to him in an instant.

Back in the day, Eggman, then known as Robotnik, had created a project called the Doomsday Project, designed to bring about an unrivaled rule over Mobius. But Sonic and the leader of his band of Freedom Fighters, disputed princess Sally Acorn, used two mystical artifacts called the Deep Time Stones to destroy the entire project headquarters, along with a sizable chunk of Robotropolis. During this, he had lost consciousness and fell into the Void, home to the wizard Ixis Naugus. He later learned that he had escaped and formed a shaky alliance with Eggman's nephew Snively.

The powerful waves generated by the self-destructing Doomsday Project altered him in ways he thought weren't possible. Now he didn't seem as evil and foreboding as before. He had to change that.

When he himself found a way out of the Void some time later, Robotnik clearly wasn't the same man he was. Sonic had repeatedly called him "Eggman", and this time, he fully embraced the name. This sent Sonic over the edge in mirth. Sure, he could laugh now, but Eggman vowed to create the Eggman Empire, and no one, especially not the now-approaching Sonic the Hedgehog, would stop him.

By now he finished setting up his command chair. He grasped the joystick in front of him.

"You won't win today, Sonic the Hedgehog..." he whispered, aiming his crosshairs at the approaching X-Tornado.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

All across the country, people everywhere were tuned to the news, covering the intense fight at Dr. Eggman's fortress. It was being broadcast from a safe distance away from the fortress via news helicopters. As usual, Scarlet Garcia was doing a brilliant job covering this story.

This Saturday morning, Danny Richmond and his family were among the millions engrossed in the fight. No one spoke. It must have been the most televised war since the Persian Gulf War.

"Danny, is your alien friend coming to fight too?" Danny's seven-year-old little sister asked.

"I hope so," Danny said. "Sonic probably knows about this, and knowing him, he'll be here any-"

Just then the family's landline phone rang. Danny's father went over to answer it.

"Hello?" he spoke, before turning to Danny. "It's Helen. She wants to speak to you."

Danny took the phone and held it up to his ear. "I'm here," he said. He knew that Helen was already back in town, having been in Idaho for only a few days.

"Are you watching the news?" she asked.

"Yeah, we've got it on right now," Danny replied.

"Listen," Helen continued, her voice growing increasingly urgent. "Chris and Frances are in that plane right now. This is extremely dangerous."

Danny's eyes widened in shock and realization. "Oh man, I totally forgot about that! Does this mean they can't drop them off anywhere?"

"I don't think so," Helen said sadly.

"Why not?" Danny asked.

"Sonic probably heard about the attack, and from what you told me about him, he'll do anything to stop Dr. Eggman." Anticipating Danny's next question, she added, "There must have been a change of plans."

Noticing commotion from his parents, sister, and sixteen-year-old brother Jamal, Danny looked up at the screen to see the X-Tornado. It was only a speck on the screen, but its four wings made it indistinguishable from other military craft.

"They made it to the base," reported Danny.

"I need to go now," Helen said. "We're expecting visitors in a few."

"Oh, okay then. See you later!"

Almost as soon as Danny hung up and put the phone down, his father turned to him. "Did I hear you right? Are your friends really on board that plane?" he asked.

"Yeah," Danny said solemnly. "Helen says she doesn't think there was any time to drop them off."

"There he is!" Lisa exclaimed, pointing to the screen. Sure enough, the X-Tornado was in clear view. A certain blue hedgehog was riding one of the wings.

"Is that Sonic on that plane?" Danny's mother asked.

"I think it is," his father answered in an optimistic tone.

"It is," Danny confirmed. "If anyone can stop Eggman, it's Sonic the Hedgehog."

Even Danny was amazed at the confidence coming from his own voice. Perhaps exposure to Sonic had that effect on him.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

A few minutes after heads-up about the inbound doctor, the GUN infiltration team were continuing toward the generator with no hindrance whatsoever. Now that they knew exactly where it was located, the return trip seemed a whole lot easier. However, with the numerous robots everywhere and the fact that their presence was known this time, such was not the case.

"I don't like this," muttered Topaz. "It's really eerie how no one's even coming to meet us." She shifted her grasp on her assault rifle. "It's almost as if Robotnik wants us to fall into a trap or something."

Suddenly Topaz stopped at the sight of what lie at the junction ahead. There was yet another E-12 Behemoth. Fortunately, it was unflanked this time. Spoke too soon…

"This is gonna be a loooong day…" Topaz sighed.

"You go ahead," Rouge instructed. "I'll cover you."

"Good luck," nodded Topaz. "Onward, troops!" she told her team and they continued their advance toward the generator, leaving Rouge to take on the Behemoth alone.

Just as Rouge predicted, the giant robots took a swing at Rouge, who nimbly flew back to avoid the attack. While it was reeling, she prepared to execute a Screw Kick to finish it, but was forced to abort and dodge the robot's powerful cannon arm. This robot seemed more prepared for Rouge than the last one she fought - a minor setback, though.

As she reeled back, Rouge became aware of the sound of gunfire and explosions from further up the hall. Topaz must have run into trouble.

Telling herself the Behemoth could wait, she bolted down the hall, narrowly avoiding another blast from the Behemoth she abandoned. A cowardly move, to be sure.

It didn't even take her a few seconds to see that Topaz' regiment was not only engaged with the enemy, but outgunned as well. They were up against at least half a dozen E-13 Guardians. Topaz noticed Rouge approaching.

"We could sure use your help over here!" Topaz called before ducking under a stray laser.

Suddenly Rouge was grabbed by the Behemoth she had left behind. She thought she hadn't let her guard down. It must have sneaked up behind her, its heavy footsteps masked by the fight.

"I'm… urgh… a little busy here!" Rouge shouted back as she struggled to escape. To the Behemoth, she said, "Must be a bit hard to pick on someone your own size."

Just then the entire wall nearby exploded, creating a gaping hole. With a wild whoop, Knuckles the Echidna leapt through the carnage he had created. He was wearing his favorite hat, a sight Rouge hadn't seen since some time before the war.

When the wall exploded, the Behemoth, caught off guard, dropped Rouge; and the GUN soldiers dropped to the ground to avoid any flying projectiles.

"Hope I'm not late to the party!" Knuckles exclaimed.

"Oh, believe me," Rouge said, overcoming her surprise as she got up, "there's _plenty_ of party left for you."

Topac turned back, making sure the Guardians weren't going to execute a sneak attack during this turning point. If this newcomer was here, then that meant the military successfully penetrated the force field…

"Thanks for dropping in, Knuckles," Rouge said, deciding now wasn't the time to flirt with him, as she Screw Kicked the Behemoth's legs, immobilizing it. She leapt back as Knuckles easily finished off the robot in a flurry of punches, deactivating the E-12 without causing an explosion. Then the echidna bolted toward the Guardians.

"Hold your fire!" Topaz ordered her troops as Knuckles leapt into the fray and smashed the E-13 Guardians one by one. There was absolutely no stopping this machine. Guardian after Guardian went down, metal flying everywhere. Rouge pitched in as well, and together, she and Knuckles simultaneously took out the last one. Now everyone finally had a moment to breathe.

"How'd you get here so fast?" Rouge asked.

Now Knuckles wasn't surprised to find out that Rouge was on Earth and working with GUN; this was her natural inclination. He had heard about "an alien" working with GUN, and figured it was her.

He shrugged. "I rode a missile."

Topaz's eyes widened, and Rouge shrugged as well. It wasn't something she wasn't used to.

"You were here when it happened, am I right?" Knuckles asked.

Rouge nodded. "Your deduction skills are impeccable as always."

"Okay, can someone tell me what's going on?" a slightly flustered Topaz asked. To Knuckles, she asked, "Who are you? Are you with Sonic?"

"Knuckles," he introduced himself. "And yeah, for the most part, anyway." They still had their moments, but Sonic was a friend nonetheless. He knew full well Rouge could tease him later for this, but given the urgency of the greater situation, he couldn't care less.

"And you?" Knuckles asked as they continued moving.

"Sergeant Topaz of Gun Division Alpha," the sergeant formally introduced herself. "We're here to detonate the generator."

"That's crazy, even for you," Knuckles disagreed. "Even if you _do_ manage to get in there and shut it down, it's going to be next to impossible to get back out alive."

"I'm well aware," Topaz said. "Now, what are _you_ here for?"

Knuckles crosses his arms. "Why do you want to know?"

"To see if our goals align," Topaz replied.

Knuckles hesitated a moment before answering. "I'm here for the Chaos Emeralds," he explained. "I bet we can find 'em at the generator somewhere. Hope you have room for one more."

"The more, the merrier, Knuckie," cooed Rouge.

"Not _now_ , Rouge!" groaned Knuckles under his breath, trying a failing to suppress a blush. Still, it was a good thing he was prioritizing the Emeralds. He would leave Eggman to Sonic. Knowing him, he was on his way over right now.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

"There it is," Tails said, breaking the thoughtful silence as Eggman's foreboding fortress came into sight. I could already feel my heart beating faster within my sore chest.

This is it…

"Okay, guys," Tails announced, probably more so to me and Frances, because I was sure Amy already knew the drill. "Hang on tight and hope for the best. It's gonna be rough."

"Looks like the battle's already in full swing," Amy commented. "Oh, the Badniks just noticed us!"

Tails opened fire at a few of them, immediately destroying the nearest few robots. Sonic also got into the action, leaping off the plane and spinning into a few other robots before immediately returning to the wing.

Suddenly an alarm went off, and he announced, "Heat-seeking missiles. Brace yourselves!"

Sure enough, I looked up to see several missiles flying straight toward us. Tails sharply banked to the right just in time to avoid them, and I cringed as three of them nearly hit us. Frances cried out, and I tried not to let my own yell rise from my throat as well.

"It's going to be okay, promise!" Amy tried to reassure Frances. But deep down, I thought otherwise.

Tails suddenly pulled up, and I was forced to hold on as several lasers from a large turret atop the fortress passed underneath us. At this rate, I was going to lose my lunch, and I'm sure my already injured body couldn't handle that.

I knew that Tails was an excellent and more than capable pilot, but this was too much for me. With every passing second, I felt like we would be hit by a laser or missile, and we would go down. I really wished I didn't have to be pulled into battle with them, but it was what it was. As Sonic had said, there was no time to lose. Those were the scariest words I had heard yet.

"I can't get close enough to the fortress," remarked Tails as he scanned the robotic blockade.

"What are you trying to do?" I asked.

"I'm trying to blast a hole in the wall large enough for Sonic to get in," explained Tails, "but these guys-" he was forced to suddenly bank to the right to avoid an attack from a Beacon, which was quickly destroyed by a military jet. "-are really persistent!"

"Good thing the military's giving us plenty of cover," commented Amy.

We spend the next minute or two circling around, shooting down any robots that got too close to us. But the more we shot down, the more that came in to swarm around us. In fact, they were attacking the X-Tornado more than to military craft. I must have failed to mention that I saw a ship going down, along with a few aircraft. Tails was right. These robots were way too persistent.

"Hey, I think I see an opening!" Tails announced.

He fired a pair of missiles toward the base. I watched as the robots tried and failed to intercept them. It kind of reminded me of the Death Star trench run in Star Wars. The missiles impacted the side of the base, blowing a large hole in the side.

"Bulls-eye!" cheered Tails.

Satisfied with the size and distance of the hole, Sonic gave a thumbs-up from his position on the wing and leaped off, curling into a tight ball and hurtling himself directly toward the hole. He soon disappeared inside, kicking off the infiltration mission. Now all we needed to do was survive until Eggman was scrambled.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Eggman let go of the controls and lifted the scope, now understanding the full extent of Sonic's plan. The military was providing cover for both the GUN force and the X-Tornado, and now Sonic was inside the base. This whole day was going further south than Adabat.

"Doctor, why have you ceased fire?" Decoe asked.

Bocoe glanced at the radar. "Doctor, Sonic the Hedgehog has breached the exterior structure of the fortress."

"Does that answer your question, Decoe?" Eggman said as he rose from his seat. Without waiting for an answer, he added, "We're moving on to phase two. You three, you know what to do."

He left the room, confident that he would get rid of his rodent infestation once and for all.

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

In a word, that infiltration Tails and I pulled off was _flawless_.

Now that I was inside one of the halls of Eggman's humble abode, I looked around for any signs of opposition. I could hear the distant sound of gunfire coming from far away. That meant I must not have been alone in there.

As this fortress was familiar territory, I knew exactly where the command center was, so I made my way up there. It wasn't far, but still, something wasn't right…

I tried the door, only to find it unlocked. This set off warning signs in my head. But I knew I still had to enter and see if the doctor was home. He needed a checkup from the neck up.

You know what else unnerved me? The fact that I was alone in there. It was way too quiet, which made me suspicious. There was absolutely no one - no Badniks, not even the hench-bots.

...Scratch that last part.

Decoe, Bocoe and Bokkun were here all along; they were simply hiding out of sight, waiting for me to come in. Before I could react, Decoe threw something gold and shiny to the ground at my feet. It quickly expanded, and I realized too late that it was a Warp Ring. How they got a hold of one, I have no idea.

I fell through the ring and onto the floor of a large, dimly-lit room. It was so big that I actually began wondering if I was even in the fortress still. If I wasn't… then where was I?"

"Welcome, Sonic."

The voice came from seemingly nowhere, but I knew who it was all too well.

Section by section, the room's lights began to turn on, revealing a huge robot. Floating next to it was none other than the bald nut job himself in his Eggmobile.

Eggman began the process of docking his craft within a compartment in the robot that was made for it.

"This is the E-18 Egg Galahad," he introduced. "And _this_ will be your last day alive, at least in your natural body."

"I already told ya once, Ro- _butt_ -nik, I like my natural body the way it is," I sassed.

"Nothing lasts forever, Sonic," Eggman said. "My new roboticizer is coming along quite nicely, and I'm pleased to say you will be honored with becoming its first occupant."

"Now where have I heard _that_ before…?" I taunted.

"This time, however, my success is guaranteed. Don't get your hopes up on victory this time, Sonic!" Eggman exclaimed as the Egg Galahad bore down on Sonic.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

One of the doors to the generator rocketed across the room as Knuckles blew it off his hinges in one mighty blow. He and the GUN team stormed in, easily dealing with all the Badniks in the area. Entering last to make sure they weren't being followed, Topaz turned to her men.

"Cover us!" she ordered the rest of the soldiers as the headed back outside. She turned to the last soldier in the room. "Get the C4 ready," she instructed, taking another uneasy glance outside.

The soldier nodded and prepared the bomb he was carrying, Knuckles glanced at the generator. He couldn't believe that they were going to literally strike their first major against Eggman since they arrived here, and it's only been over a month.

"We're doing great," commented Topaz. "At this clip, we'll be outta here at 1400 hours."

"All set, ma'am," the soldier reported. "Will ten minutes be enough?"

"It should be," the sergeant replied, scanning the room. "It's too risky to make it fifteen. Has anyone seen Rouge?"

Knuckles gestured to a hole that, unbeknownst to him, was the same hole inadvertently created by Rouge during her last visit. "I saw her go up through there," he replied. "Knowing her, she's looking for the Emeralds."

"Alone?" Topaz said incredulously before looking up at the hole. "Rouge, can you hear me? The bomb is set. We're leaving now!"

"I'll catch up," Rouge called from above. "We've got some unfinished business here, remember?"

"No, we're leaving _now!_ " Topaz shouted back. However, she never got an answer from Rouge. She picked a fine time to let her petty jewel fascination get the better of her.

Suddenly the sound of machinery filled the air, coming from all sides.

"What's going on?" Topaz asked in disbelief.

"Don't know," breathed Knuckles as he looked around for the source of the noise.

"Just got word from the rest of the squad," the soldier said," lowering his radio. "They're locking down the facility."

Topaz cursed under her breath as the doors finished closing. Doomsday and Armageddon just gave birth to one ugly baby. Hopefully Rouge was having better luck.

"Hey… You guys know about this?" Knuckles spoke up. Topaz followed the echidna's gaze to a maintenance ladder leading up to the room above them.

"Maybe we won't die today after all," Topaz said, glancing at the bomb. 9:30. It was crunch time.

After scanning the room to make sure they weren't any robots in there with them, the soldier climbed first, then Topaz, and lastly Knuckles. At the top was the breaker room Topaz was in during her last trip. She quickly spotted Rouge frantically searching everywhere for the Emeralds.

"What on Earth are you doing?" Topaz shouted.

"The Chaos Emeralds… They've gotta be in here somewhere…!"

"They'll have to wait," Topaz said. "In case you didn't know, we're locked in here with an active bomb."

"Tell me something I don't know!" Rouge shouted back, searching high and low for any sign of the missing Emeralds. "Like how much time's left on the bomb!"

"About nine minutes," Topaz called.

Rouge finally stopped searching and sighed. "Forget the Emeralds," she relented. "Nine minutes is more than enough time to escape."

She flew past Topaz down the ladder, and soon the sounds of heeled shoes slamming on the door reverberated through the room. Topaz sincerely hoped she would make the breakthrough they needed. Even if the bomb didn't go off in nine minutes, they would quickly run out of air in the sealed room.

"It's no use," Rouge called. "This door is tough as nails."

"Let me try," volunteered Knuckles. Walking past Topaz and the soldier, he slid down the ladder and ran over to the door where Rouge was panting from her exertion.

The echidna narrowed his eyes. "…You couldn't even dent it…?"

Without waiting for an answer, Knuckles launched a full-on assault on the reinforced door. Punch after punch was landed on the door, but these same fists that destroyed countless robots and boulders could not cause a simple gate to cave.

"What is this door _made_ of…?" panted Knuckles, rubbing his sore hands. He turned to see Topaz and the soldier descending the ladder. Topaz was visibly disheartened. She balefully glanced at the bomb.

"Is it possible in any way to disarm the bomb?" she asked in a low tone.

The soldier looked up at Topaz. "Ma'am, all the technicians are locked outside," he said. "I'm just a soldier. Even so, I can't risk disarming it without prematurely detonating it."

That did it for Topaz. Overcome by all emotion, she fell on her knees and covered her face in despair. There was no escape, and now they had less than nine minutes left to live.

She couldn't believe it was all coming down to this. She and her squad had come so far… and now they were going to go down with the fortress. Knuckles was in fact right. This was suicide.

"It's too early to despair, Topaz!" Rouge said, noticing her new friend refusing to break down.

"We've gotten out of tougher scrapes before, and this one's no different," Knuckles added. "Just hang in there. We'll bust us all out!"

Rouge turned back to the door. "Doesn't look like it's possible for us to break through alone," she surmised.

"Then this requires teamwork," Knuckles said.

Rouge winked. "I like the sound of that."

The two Mobians proceeded to relentlessly pound the door, determined to free not only themselves, but the whole country from Eggman's tyranny.

* * *

 **Sonic's POV.**

Fighting a giant robot in limited space wasn't the hard thing about this fight. What was hard was the fact that even though there was light, there wasn't enough to clearly see in the chamber, which made this fight a bit harder.

Also, it kinda wasn't helping that this thing was really fast despite it overwhelming size. The thing was a good ninety feet tall, and it was dodging me like I was slow or something. I figured the best strategy was to somehow catch it off guard.

In an unexpected epic move (not epic for me, mind you), the Egg Galahad kicked me with tremendous force into the ceiling, leaving a Sonic-sized impression in the metal texture. As I fell, Eggman's mechanical monstrosity slapped me into the wall. There was definitely a bit of pain there. If he wanted to redecorate this room with impressions shaped like yours truly, this was an unconventional way to go.

Somehow, Eggman found the prospect of redecorating so humorous that he burst out in evil laughter. In my opinion, the only thing this room lacked now is a coat of "contemporary upbeat take on evil" blue paint.

"Hohohoho! This is the most fun I've had toying with you in quite some time!" the doc chortled.

Oh dear… If this _is toying, then what_ else _is it capable of?_

Having fallen to the ground, winded from the sudden attack, I started to pick myself up, when the Galahad's giant hand pinned me to the ground with utterly crushing force. It would have killed anyone else instantly, but not me. The force was very strong, but not quite overwhelming.

"I gotta hand it to ya, Eggy…" I groaned. " You actually managed to make a decent robot this time."

Even though I couldn't see Eggman from where I was, I could tell he was smirking.

"While I commend your complimenting my genius, 'decent' is quite a mediocre term," he said, sounding muffled on account of his giant robot hand crushing my whole body. "I know you're _dying_ to know the secret of the Egg Galahad's strength, and since you won't last long anyway, I'll tell you. In case you haven't noticed, the Egg Galahad is powered by a Chaos Emerald."

Not really any surpri-

"Or should I say _two_?"

Oh. Okay, that was news. It wasn't overly surprising, though. If he had a third, _that_ would surprise me.

"Well, that explains a lot," I said, pretending to play dumb. "Now I know what happened to the Emeralds you stole from us."

"Stole?" repeated Eggman in a mixture of amusement and disgust. "It was more along the lines of a generous donation. You're too kind, you know." He chuckled. "Actually, I have your gullible friend Tails to thank for discovering both of them for me."

"Leave him out of this," I demanded. Tails already had his share of bullies. He didn't need any more, especially Eggman.

"You are physically in no condition to demand anything of me," retorted Eggman. "Now let's get this over with!"

Just then I heard a faint beeping sound. Eggman grumbled in agitation before there was a pause.

"I'm busy right now! What do you want?" I heard him shout. I assumed he was talking to Decoe and Bocoe. This distraction was in my favor.

"We have succeeded in locking Knuckles, Rouge, and the leader of the GUN force within the generator compound," Decoe reported.

"Prior to their imprisonment," added Bocoe, "they have activated a detonation device that is set to explode eight minutes from now."

Eggman sighed. "How stopid do you have to be to get yourself trapped in a room with an active bomb?"

Thanks to this handy distraction, I was able to use my supersonic strength to push the Egg Galahad's hand off of me and move out from underneath it.

"You know, Eggy, you really shouldn't talk on the phone and drive!" I taunted.

"Look what you made me do!" Eggman yelled into the communicator. "I'll call you back!"

"Don't plan too far ahead, Ro- _butt_ -nik," I chided. "For all I know, you're gonna be busy evacuating in a few."

"Foreshadowing…" Eggman muttered.

His giant robot attempted to step on me and pin me to the ground with its hands again, but thanks to my speed, it only made Eggy's E-18 look like it was breakdancing. Last I checked, Eggman was never a good dancer.

"I'll have you know I never run from a fight!" he crowed. "I've planned for this event for a long time, and will act accordingly."

"Really?" I smirked. "Well, I bet you never planned for this!"

Without hesitation, I sprinted up the Egg Galahad's leg. Eggman was now completely vulnerable. I probably should have done this earlier, but I wanted to toy with him first.

I heard him mutter, "I should have taken this fight outside, where E-18 could unleash its full potential."

"Too late for that!" I called. "Also, about your little show and tell act earlier…" I broke through the Galahad's torso with a well-executed spin dash, grabbed both Chaos Emeralds (they were very hot to the touch; don't try this at home, kids), and burst out the other side in one go. "...it's time for less telling and more showing!"

Even though I had the upper hand with both Emeralds in my grasp, there was a slight catch. I had forgotten just how erratic their nature was here on Earth. They did something to me that had never happened before.

The cyan and yellow gems, already bristling and quivering with raw Chaos energy, began to glow even brighter, reacting to the positive Chaos energy within me. Then they began to levitate me off the ground. Looking down, I saw that I was glowing slightly. This was really different.

"Note to self: make a backup power source for every Chaos Emerald-powered robot," mumbled Eggman, oblivious to my new-found Chaos abilities.

Guided by the Emeralds, I slowly began to fly through the room. I moved my arms to the left to see if I would fly in that direction, and to my amazement, I did fly left. This was incredible! It was almost like going Super with two Chaos Emeralds!

Using these powers to my advantage, I thrust my arms forward to increase my speed, then steered myself toward the Egg Galahad. Chaos energy, the power enriched by the heart, enveloped me as I painlessly flew straight through the core of Eggman's E-18 Egg Galahad. As I emerged out the other side, I figured one blow wasn't enough. I had to make sure this baby was good and gone.

I directed my body through the Galahad again and again, causing the robot to spark. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Eggman ejecting his Eggmobile from its compartment.

"You'll pay for this, you impudent rodent!" he shouted. Normally I would have a hard time hearing him over all the noise I was busy making, but the Chaos energy was amplifying my senses.

As the Egg Galahad started to explode, I could also hear Eggman relaying orders to Decoe and Bocoe over his communicator.

"Mayday! Retrieve Orbot and Cubot! Secure the corundum! Evacuate the base! Every robot for itself!"

You're out of time, Eggman, I thought.

I soared out of the room, the fortress' thick walls proving to be no obstacle for me. Now if what I heard Eggman say was correct, GUN was here in the fortress, and they set a time bomb in the generator room, but got themselves locked in there. My next move was to free them and puncture the fortress to add some fuel to the coming fire.

The mondo giant explosion would be way past cool to watch from a distance.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Rouge and Knuckles were still attacking the door nonstop, nearly five minutes later. Admittedly, Topaz was still nervous about what would happen if they couldn't break it down in time. At the same time, she was grateful that the two Mobians each possessed superhuman strength.

"I can feel it," Rouge called over the din of her assault. "Any second now, the door's gonna go."

Topaz wandered as close as she dared toward the bomb and peered at its seven-segment LED display. Less than 2:30 remained. If they survived this ordeal, they were going to cut it close…

"Got it!" Knuckles shouted, having finally breached the door's structure. He rubbed his sore fists before turning toward Topaz.

"We were able to make a hole in it," he called back, "but I don't know if it's going to be big enough for everyone to fit through."

"It _better_ be," Rouge stated firmly. "We go now or we're dead."

Suddenly one of the back walls near the ceiling exploded, and Sonic the Hedgehog literally _flew_ into the room, aided by the two Chaos Emeralds he was holding. He quickly saw their predicament and burst through one of the walls low to the ground near the door. The noise was tremendous, but it was a small price to pay for freedom.

However, the moment Sonic broke through both of those walls, debris rained toward the two Mobians. Rouge, seeing it coming before Knuckles did, tackled the echidna to the ground and used her body to shield him from any potential falling debris. Miraculously, none fell on them.

Once the majority of the dust cleared (it didn't take long at all), Knuckles sat up, bewildered that Rouge saved him. But before he could speak, Rouge put a finger to his lips.

"Hush now," she whispered. "I'm just returning the favor for your last-minute rescue earlier. Now we're even."

Knuckles rose to his feet, deep down grateful for the save. But more than that, he was a bit confused about something.

"How on Mobius was he doing that just now?"

"No time!" Topaz urged. "Go! Now!"

Snapping out of his trance, Knuckles was the first to leap through the hole in the wall, followed by Rouge, Topaz, and the soldier. They quickly reunited with the rest of the infiltration force, who were all present and fighting off a horde of approaching robots.

"The bomb's set!" Topaz shouted to her forces. "We're evacuating now!"

No one needed to be told twice. Everyone sprinted toward the hole they came in at, and a few soldiers held back the robots from the rear. Once they were outside and the fortress was gone, victory was theirs.

* * *

 **Chris' POV.**

I was fascinated, even mesmerized to a degree, as the battle rages all around us. Tails continued to expertly shoot down more Badnik swarms and E-series robots. But the more that went down, the more there were to easily replace them. It was literally a disposable army. If I wasn't so frightened at the many close calls we were having, I probably would have enjoyed it.

So engrossed was I that I had almost forgotten about the painful throbbing in my upper chest from the conflict at Tingalin Villa. I couldn't tell if it was getting worse or not. Whatever the case, I would have to get it checked out when we returned home.

Suddenly my attention was drawn to something breaking out of the side of the fortress. The object began to gracefully fly in and out of it- no, _through_ it. It didn't take me long to see that it was Sonic, and he was holding brightly-glowing cyan and yellow lights in his hands.

"It's Sonic!" Frances cheered.

"What's he doing?" I wondered aloud. "...are those the Chaos Emeralds?"

"Mhm," nodded Tails.

"But they don't work like that," Amy stated. "How's he even doing that?"

"My best guess is since the Master Emerald's not here, it seems anything goes," Tails speculated. "...sort of. I've been listening to GUN's radio chatter just now, and it sounds like there's an explosive device inside about to go off."

"Really?" Frances remarked. "Do you know you set it?"

"I don't have a clear answer," Tails replied as he banked left. "But it's sounding like GUN set it."

Silence filled the cabins as we flew away from the fortress. Sonic would see us and catch up in no time, so I wasn't worried. Frances put to words what we were all thinking.

"I can't believe it… We're actually going to defeat Dr. Eggman!"

"It seems like it," Amy said. "You excited?"

"Yeah! He won't have to scare us all anymore!" Frances exclaimed.

"Okay, GUN's out," reported Amy. I had been hoping they would make it out in time. But could they lengthen the distance between them and the fortress before long?

Suddenly the entire fortress exploded in a brilliant flash of fire as the bomb detonated, drawing our attention and aweing us. It was actually pretty mesmerizing. Fortunately, we were too far away from it for any debris to reach us.

Before I could inquire about Sonic, I saw the hedgehog flying toward us, both Chaos Emeralds in his hands glowing vividly. He was visibly beaming with exhilaration as he landed on the X-Tornado's wing. I was so proud of him for recovering the Emeralds. We all were.

Even though Frances and I had some pretty deep bruises from our unfortunate encounter with Eggman, I felt that the doctor had gotten his just desserts today. I knew our next priority was to get us home ASAP and get our injuries checked out. But for now, we were filled with unspoken ecstasy.

We had finally defeated Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik.

* * *

 **Third-person POV.**

Jerome Wise was watching the proceedings on TV from a private hotel room in Station Square. He was going to stay here overnight before returning to Washington in the morning.

He had to admit, though, the sight of the fortress exploding was impressive. As to its cause, he had no context aside from Sonic using the so-called Chaos Emeralds to puncture it over and over. The C4 utilized by GUN may have aided in its destruction.

Even though he had just witnessed the ultimate downfall of Dr. Robotnik, something didn't settle well in his stomach, and it had to do with… the _aliens._

Now that Robotnik was gone, their popularity would skyrocket beyond belief. In fact, he became concerned that they would eventually overrun how America was run, especially since he had indirectly promised them citizenship if Sonic defeated Robotnik. Now the deed was done, and it was too late to walk back on his word.

In short, something needed to be done about them. They may not have meant any harm, but they were simply taking over. However… he had no idea how to go about their… removal, because he would be subpoenaed and fired if he was found out.

As if it was fate, his cell phone rang. Pulling it from his suit pocket, he saw that it was an unknown number. He decided to take it.

Before he could say anything, a familiar gravelly voice spoke from the other end.

"Is this the number of Chief of Staff Jerome Wise?"

It… it couldn't be… But it was… How? How was he still alive?

"Y-you survived…" Jerome stuttered, looking around to make sure no one would overhear him. Good. All was quiet.

"It was by the skin of my teeth," Eggman said in a low voice. "My base is totally destroyed, unlikely to be rebuilt without arousing suspicion. The military did a thorough job."

"How do you know my number?" Jerome demanded after regaining his composure.

"I have my ways," dismissed Eggman.

"Then… why are you calling to tell me this?"

"Let's not cut to the chase just yet!" Eggman said. "You see, Mr. Wise, I've been looking at your track record, and I must admit… I like what I see. In fact, you could even say I'm impressed."

"Are you trying to dig up dirt on me?" Jerome asked, more confused than ever.

"Quite the contrary," the doctor spoke. "In fact, I just wanted to commend you for standing up to your Commander in Chief, especially when he orchestrated the attack."

Jerome was mildly surprised at the doctor's approach.

"I… had no choice, really," he said. "Congress did not approve a diplomatic approach, claiming you are too obstinate, and decided that attacking your headquarters was their last resort."

"I don't blame them," said Eggman. "The United States Military is a resilient bunch."

"Doctor, if you didn't know, since I'm sure you have eyes all over the city-"

"I do," confirmed Eggman. "Go on."

"The President sent me to enlist the aid of Sonic earlier, but he wasn't home. The Thorndykes' servants informed me he would do it on his own terms."

"That hedgehog has _always_ marched to his own drummer," Eggman clarified. "What about it?"

"Well, I'm convinced that since _they_ were the ones who destroyed your fortress, _not_ the GUN operatives, their popularity is going to skyrocket. In all honesty, I'm concerned that they're going to overrun america, and… frankly, I want to do something about it."

Eggman was thoughtful for a moment, which left Jerome wondering what the doctor was thinking.

"This brings us full circle, then," Eggman said. "It seems we have more in common than I thought. In which case… I'd like to offer you a proposition, Jerome."

Jerome allowed a small smirk to play across his features.

"I'm listening."

* * *

 **A/N** And that concludes "Beating Eggman, Part 2" as well as the entire first sixth of the Sonic X rewrite! Wow, time has really flown.

Some of my key differences:

 _-There is a longer delay for Sonic to arrive so I can lengthen the action scenes.  
-There are now consequences at Tingalin Villa.  
-Knuckles has his hat from the OVA.  
-Badniks!  
-A brand new scene is added at the end.  
-Herobrine has been removed.  
-I merged any and all Topaz scenes.  
-The E-18 Guerra-Hard is renamed the Egg Galahad._

I will be going on hiatus to expand my backlog. While all my ideas are finished through Episode 20, I still need to type drafts through at least Episode 19, which shouldn't take as long as formulating ideas. You can expect the next chapter to be up some time in late January.

Speaking of the next chapter, I will not be rewriting "That's What Friends Are For" for reasons I will explain in the next chapter. However, I will summarize it.

During the hiatus, I plan to write a Sonic X comedy oneshot. This should be out some time in the coming weeks. In fact, maybe I should make it a Christmas special or something.

Also, I'm going to put a poll up on my main page soon. Do you think I should add time stamps and locations to scene changes, such as "Thorndyke Mansion - November 24 - 9:54 AM - Chris' POV."?

Next up is "Skirmish in the Sky", featuring the glorious return of our amazing, benevolent, cherished, delightful, EGGcellent Dr. Eggman! Don't miss it!


	14. The Egg Fort

**A/N:** I'm back, baby! Woohoo!

In my absence, I got 16 new favorites and 16 new follows, thus bringing my total to 69 favorites, 72 follows, and 83 reviews overall! I want to give a thank you to the new users who supported my story!

Thank you to **Animeloverdog, Dragon Of The Ecplising** **Moon,** and **Oh My God They Killed Kenny** for adding Chaos on Earth to your favorites list!

Thank you to **GranGabrie, ksnatureart,** and **bob1234** for subscribing to this story!

Thank you to **sonic vs evil, TheJoker96Italia, MoonlightStormer, Rhapsody FFN, alexagudelo456, xXxWisteriaxXx, Princess Tyler Louise Palmer, Eternalangel15, Themistersmith,** **desiree031103,** **Conta fake, Loki921,** and **sarajama95** for doing both!

Also, thank you so much for bringing this story past 20,000 views!

And last but not least, I want to shout out **SuperTailsFan0812** for her undying support for this story! I hope this chapter has been well worth the wait!

Now on to the real intro!

So... a lot of you may or may not know that the site disabled notifications for private messages at the end of November, saying they want to put up some anti-bot measures. It's been two months now, with no sign of the PM emails coming back. I don't want to rant too much about it, so I'll just move on.

There are so many Sonic movie TV spots and trailers being churned out by Paramount lately. I mean, are there going to be any surprises left by the time the movie comes out? Also, since the next chapter won't be published until after the movie is in theaters, I'm going to ask you all to please not spoil the movie until I hopefully go see it in theaters.

About the chapter itself: Episode 14 is normally "That's What Friends Are For", the one where Sonic and Helen go to the island of beautiful flowers, but it's also the one where Jerome throws a tantrum because a hedgehog won't come to his party. Also, salami and juice are involved somehow...? More on why this episode will not be rewritten in the end notes.

The chapter quality should be much higher this time around; I am now double-checking the structure of the story a few days after I write those parts. Let me know what you think about it.

Also, while the E-33 Buball and E-43 Falcon will keep their names, E-42 Torole will be renamed to E-42 Checker-Wrecker, as a callback to Eggman's old Checker Wrecker Balls!

Without further ado, let's move on to reviews and what matters most: the story!

* * *

 ** _GuardianDragon98_**

 _Great chapter! I hope you get more ideas to write during your hiatus. I'm gonna be looking for your AO3 profile to read the edited chapters :)_

 _And, OMG, Sonic X on Netflix? Definitely gonna be watching out for that!_

 **Thanks!**

 **The first three chapters are out now on my AO3 profile, which is the same name as my FFN account. They are also on DeviantArt, where I go by Stardown77.**

 **Also, not only is Sonic X on Netflix, but Japan is finally going to get the Metarex Saga on TV!**

 _ **MisunderstoChris**_

 _Hey there. I love your story. I am so glad to read a story that has Chris as more then just a cheerleader or someone who needs to be saved. I always saw Chris as our way of connecting to the mobians through his friendship with them. I am so happy that he has a more developed character and I look forward to reading more as you post. Chris had so much more potential._

 _One thing I need to ask because it has always stuck out to me in the show. In 'Countdown to Chaos' Chris some how escapes from his restraints and grabs all the emeralds. But what has always struck me as odd is that Chris didn't seem to suffer any after effects from grabbing Six emeralds WHILE they were channelling their power. It always made me thing that something should have happened to him besides getting shocked. Considering all the lore behind the chaos emeralds and chaos energy, something should of happened. Now I don't expect him to develop superpowers or something, but maybe Chris gets some connection to the emeralds? Also will there be a gap between that episode and the chaos Saga? I have always thought they missed a month or two between those episodes._

 _Anyway. I really look forward to reading the rest of your story. All the best!_

 **Yay, a fellow Chris fan! I too love stories with Chris as a coherent character. I can identify with him in so many ways.**

 **Chris is not going to get powers from the Emeralds in that episode, because his body does not have Chaos energy, unlike most Mobians. However, there _will_ be a little something concerning Chris and the Emeralds in a few chapters.**

 **Yes, there will be a six-month gap between those two episodes, as mentioned at the beginning of Pure Chaos.**

 _ **D.J. Scales**_

 _Nice job. Defeating Eggman means his fortress is gone but in doing so the Real Battle has begun. This reminds me of my take on The Arkeyan Empire in my Dimensions in Danger Story._

 **Indeed, the battle has only begun. Eggman will return with a vengeance.**

 **Speaking of Dimensions in Danger, how is it coming along?**

 ** _SuperTailsFan0812_**

 _I am so sorry for the late review. This chapter got me good. especially when Tails started crying. Poor guy. If I was in that situation, I would've started crying as well._

 _I really felt bad for Chris and Frances, that was such an intense episode._

 _Also, you misspelled the sentence, 'which caused Tails to help and drop the Chaos Emerald.'_

 _You are my favourite author and this is my favourite story._

 _Again, sorry for the late review._

 _You deserve a break, I will see you after the hiatus and in chapter 14._

 **Thank you so much for the review! Don't worry; it wasn't late at all.**

 **Indeed, it was quite a tense episode. If anything, the actual events of the episode seemed to be holding back on its true potential, such as emotions. The closest it got was fear, but what about the scenes right after Sonic defeated Eggman at Tingalin Villa? Is there no such thing as an adrenaline rush in the episodes?**

 **I'll go back and correct errors soon; after I finish porting this story to AO3 and DA, I'll update this version with all errors corrected.**

 _ **Animation Adventures**_

 _Eggman's island base is down! Woot woot!_

 _Sort of like how I never thought about the names of Eggman's robots as a kid, I never thought anything of potential injuries during these adventures unless they were pointed out by other characters. Chris and Francis being hurt added to the urgent-ness of chasing down Eggman to get the emerald back._

 _Personally, I think the inclusion of Knuckles' hat and the history with the Freedom Fighters seemed kind of fan service-y. I have no issues with the Freedom Fighters; I actually like them. I guess I'm just confused as to why they were mentioned and why were Sonic and his friends split up from them if they're around? I also admittingly kind of took the mention of Sally as a risk to the SonAmy ship. I like Sally as a character, but I don't want her keeping SonAmy from happening._

 _You keep bringing this up, and I have to ask- who or what is Herobrine? Sorry for sounding clueless, but I don't recognize the name._

 _In any case, that ending call between Eggman and Jerome was ominous. See you after your hiatus!_

 **Sonic X seemed to have a history of characters shrugging off injuries like they were nothing. You would think it would hurt to be blown halfway across a field by a robot, but noooo. Even when Black Narcissus stabbed Chris during the Metarex Saga, he was perfectly fine at the episode's end. That's not logical at all!**

 **I really enjoyed adding in those fan service moments. And yes, I know that little bit of backstory might have seemed unnecessary, but I thought you might have wanted to see the extent of how much Eggman hated Sonic. Eventually, I may want to write a Sonic Genesis story, which will include a loose adaptation of SatAM.**

 **Don't get me wrong; I support Sonamy much more than I do Sonally. I think of Sonic and Sally's relationship as them being great friends, quite like their SatAM selves minus the romance. I've never written for Sally before, but I would imagine she supports Sonamy.**

 **Congratulations for finding the Easter egg at the bottom of the story! I was wondering when someone would notice. Now that it's discovered, I think I'll mix it up a bit each chapter. Also, Herobrine is a fanon creepypasta character from Minecraft. He looks like the default character Steve, but with completely white eyes.**

 **And yes, there does seem to be a little something going on between Eggman and Jerome. This is going to set up for a couple other moments further down the road, particularly near the end of the Chaos Emerald Saga, and the tournament.**

 _ **Guest**_

 _Can sonic and friends even Chris and Cosmo react to Molly death with shadow and rouge on that planet and eggman and shadow and sonic and everyone else gets pissed off at the metrax for Molly death and Chris beats the s*** out of the guy in the jet for telling him and those freedom fighters to join the metrax and Chris threatns to kill him with a gun._

 **Sorry, but I can't for several reasons.**

 **1: That episode was designed for Eggman, Rouge, and Shadow, not the Blue Typhoon crew. 2: The Blue Typhoon crew don't even know about Molly. 3: Pale Bayleaf didn't tell everyone to join the Metarex. 4: Chris is not known for being violent, and besides, what would a simple gun do to a Metarex general with highly resilient body armor?**

 **I hope you understand.**

 _ **jr1550434**_

 _I'm loving this so far and I'm looking forward of see more_

 **And more you shall get!**

 _ **kitsune**_

 _The new chapter should come soon... I hope_

 **Is this soon enough for you? :D**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer in chapter 1 because I can't think of too many more witty disclaimers. Also, it's 2020; we're in the future, where are our flying cars?!_

* * *

 **Chapter 14 –** **The Egg Fort (Ep. 15)**

* * *

 **Thorndyke Mansion - Living room – Fri November 26, 10:53 AM – Chris' POV**

Today was Black Friday, the day after we marked two months of peace after the defeat of Doctor Eggman.

...Okay, maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself.

After we all got home from destroying Eggman's base, Grandpa took a close examination at the injuries we had sustained from the battle at Tingalin Villa. He deemed that Sonic was good to go; in fact, he found no injuries from his fight against Eggman. Sonic later told me that while he fought a giant robot that crushed him, any pain he had was made null by the power of the Chaos Emeralds he had used to destroy the base.

Tails, Amy, and I were patched up, and Grandpa said we would recover quickly with some TLC. While it seemed at the time that Tails banged his head pretty hard on the X-Tornado's canopy when it crashed in Tingalin Villa, all he needed was a head wrap and he was good to go.

As for me, Grandpa was worried that I might have broken a hip or rib after being blown halfway across a field, but a second inspection confirmed that I was only bruised. Amy, on the other hand, had sprained her hand, and Grandpa advised that she not put too much pressure on it for the next few days.

Frances was the only one of us who did need hospital care. There was originally a scare that she had suffered internal bleeding, but she was found to only be heavily bruised, much to our relief. She was released later that night, and has since fully recovered.

Not long afterward, Sonic met my friend Helen for the first time, and agreed to take her to an island in the middle of Fuller Lake, where many beautiful wildflowers were known to grow. Her father had wanted to take her there himself, but he worked many long hours at a Walgreens, and was unable to be there for Helen. However, after seeing Sonic's example, he agreed to not work the extra hours just so he could spend more time with his daughter.

I heard that Sonic and Helen greatly enjoyed each other's company. Helen wouldn't stop talking about how much she loved being with Sonic, and I couldn't blame her at all. On the flip side, Sonic said Helen reminded her of a princess named Elise he may have once met. He wanted to say he had a big adventure with her, but couldn't remember any of it. I was not sure what he meant by that, and he couldn't give me any more clues about it.

That was shortly before a massive party was hosted in Station Square in honor of my friends' bravery and heroics. I was commemorated as well, even though I didn't do nearly as much to help out as my friends did. Yet they still saw me as a major asset to them, which made me feel good.

In the weeks that followed, our new-found fame exploded through the roof. We've had reporters come to our house for interviews nearly daily during the first week. We've had visitors and many important people visit our house, but we had never had this much activity here before. My friends and I, Knuckles included, even made it to national television, and were interviewed by several personalities, including Steven Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Oprah Winfrey, and Ellen DeGeneres. We even got to meet the President himself.

Shortly afterward, my friends were asked by the government to be examined by a federal psychiatrist. Despite the establishment of my friends as national heroes, the government was still wary of the possible danger they posed to society. I too had to come, and so did Grandpa, Tanaka, and Ella, solely because my friends lived with us.

Now just about everyone in the United States knew who we were. I had to say, even I wasn't this famous before. However, our sudden burst of popularity didn't do very well with our personal lives. Now everyone was staring at us in wonder everywhere we went. Well, not so much me as much as my friends. The reason was simple: they were not human.

On a lighter note, I enjoyed my first Thanksgiving with my friends yesterday. As usual, the feast we had was extravagant, and Ella practically outdid herself on the turkey and other rich courses we had. However, the only things missing that day were my parents. I couldn't remember the last time they were over for Thanksgiving. Other than that, it was the best Thanksgiving I ever had.

Today, Grandpa was already out and about, arranging cell phones and plans for Sonic, Tails, and Amy. He had decided Cream was a bit too young to have her own phone, so she would share with Amy. In any case, I was really excited that my friends were getting phones of their own. In fact, I couldn't stop talking about the basics of cell phones to Sonic, who was idly lounging on the living room couch.

"I don't know how much I'll be using it, Chris," Sonic said, sounding a little bored. "To me, it sounds like more of Tails' and Amy's thing."

But I wouldn't give up on him that easily.

"You should still keep it around at least," I advised, "y'know… in case of danger, and we need to call you or something."

Sonic's expression softened. "Tingalin Villa still resonating with you, huh?" he said.

I swear, that hedgehog could read minds…

"Yeah…" I admitted, nervously shifting my weight. "Do you think he could have maybe survived?" Two months had elapsed since we destroyed Eggman's base, and there had still been no sign of him. Not even his body turned up.

"Eh, there's always the off-chance," Sonic shrugged. "But I wouldn't worry about it, bud. If the doc turns up again, you can bet I'll be ready for him. No sweat."

Another question came to mind. "I'm just wondering... what was the longest time you went without fighting Eggman?" I asked.

Sonic thought for a moment. "Oh, I'd say about… three months, give or take. That was after the Phantom War ended." He eyed me with concern. "I take it you're worried about him, aren't you?"

I was just about to reply when Tails and Amy walked into the living room. They both looked somewhat impatient, and I realized something…

"Did you forget we're heading out today, Chris?" Amy asked.

"Oh, sorry!" I hastily apologized. "I'm coming!"

To Sonic, I said, "Let me know when Grandpa gets back with the cell phones!"

"Will do!" the hedgehog responded with an affirming thumbs-up.

After we waved goodbye to Sonic, we proceeded into the foyer and toward the front door.

Today we were going Black Friday shopping. For the past week or so, Amy had constantly chattered about this day, as well as finally going shopping in general, to the point where it started to annoy me and Tails. And why not? It was in her girly-girl DNA.

Naturally, I wasn't as much into shopping as she was; in fact, Ella tended to do the majority of grocery shopping for us. However, I did frequently visit the toy stores and GameStop, so there was that.

"Chris, I know how much you like to hang out with Sonic," Tails gently said, "but please try not to hold others up, okay?"

"Okay…" I replied, somewhat distracted. My thoughts were still on Eggman, all because of that dream.

I closed the door behind us and followed my friends off the porch and down the front steps to the limo. Ella was already inside, helping Cream and Cheese get settled in.

"I can't wait to see what Earth's malls have in store for us!" Amy gleefully exclaimed. That must have been the fortieth time she said. She must have been excited or something.

There was a specific reason why we hadn't really gone out much before today. That reason was publicity. Chuck, Ella, and Tanaka were wary of the fact that we would be mobbed by adoring fans. My friends didn't head out much since the fall of Eggman, except for Sonic's daily runs, and our twice-a-week hunts for Chaos Emeralds, none of which were successful thus far. My guardians did not encourage them to leave the house for anything more than that.

Ella held the passenger's door open for me, and I thanked her as I stepped inside and climbed into my seat. Amy and Tails gathered around the miniature table in the back next to Cream and Cheese.

"I still can't get over how state-of-the-art this limo is," I heard Amy said.

It was true; this limo was made with cutting-edge technology. The table behind the front seats was surrounded by a leather booth with seat belts. It also supported a TV screen, top-notch reclining seats, bulletproof windows, free Wi-Fi, and many other features.

"Now remember, today is Black Friday," Ella reminded us as she pulled the limo out of the driveway, "so the stores will most likely be very crowded. I advise that everyone stay together, and no one goes off alone, especially since you're famous now. If you do need to get something, bring someone with you."

Even though my friends were much more mature than their ages, they were still kids, and I didn't want to think of what could happen if one of them got trapped alone in a crowd of misunderstanding humans who wanted to claim they met a celebrity. I wondered how human celebrities handled it. Then I realized: _I_ was now a human celebrity (not that I wasn't to begin with). I was in the spotlight too.

Ella had briefed my friends on Black Friday a few days before, and what it was all about. She told them about times where people caused stampedes, fights, and even camped overnight outside the stores, all for the sake of price reductions on things like toys and electronics. "The things you humans do for discounts," Tails had remarked. I took it raiding a store was almost unthinkable on Mobius.

But going off alone? With our fame, that wouldn't be a problem at all… in more ways than one.

* * *

 **Station Square – Fri November 26; 11:09 AM – Chris' POV**

From their seats around the table behind us, my friends were practically chatting up a storm about all kinds of things, from our upcoming shopping trip today to Chaos Emeralds and the cell phones they would soon be getting. Me? I was pretty much silent the whole trip so far. I couldn't get Eggman out of my head no matter how hard I wanted to. And yet I didn't want to ruin the mood of today by bringing him up.

However, I couldn't always get what I wanted, for it didn't take them long to notice I wasn't joining in the conversation.

"Mr. Chris, are you okay…?" Cream asked. "..…You seem quiet…"

I inwardly smiled. Cream was so outgoing; I mentally thanked her for her concern.

"I-I'm fine, Cream," I said, "…but… I'm just…" I sighed. Time to let it out. "What will happen if… if Eggman returns…?"

Their expressions immediately became more solemn. I was afraid that would happen.

"No one's heard anything about him in two months, Chris," Amy recalled. "What made you think about him again?"

"Well… I… had a dream about him last night," I said.

"Oh?" Tails leaned forward in interest. "Can you remember anything about it?" he asked.

"…No," I responded. I wished I did, though, but sadly, dreams don't always work that way.

"Could this be an omen?" I overheard Amy whisper to Tails. Oh boy… I didn't think omens existed in real life. If my dream _was_ one, then I was in way over my head.

"What's an omen?" Cream asked. As I looked back, I noticed a question mark emoticon appear over Cheese's head. I still found it fascinating that Chao could actually do that.

"Basically, it's a sign of bad things to come," Tails explained, trying not to sound dire. To me, he said, "No, I don't think it's an omen in any way, so…" He smiled. "You should have nothing to worry about."

"But… what if he _does_ come back…? I mean… I know Sonic has this sixth sense thing, but… what if he needs something a little more than that? Is he gonna want his own phone then?"

If I could decipher my friends' expressions, they were probably thinking, " _Is_ that _what this is all about_? _"_

"He doesn't need one, Mr. Chris," Cream clarified. "Mr. Sonic has almost always come to save us when we were in trouble. He just knows somehow."

"And even if he doesn't come right away," added Tails, "You know we're more than capable of taking on Eggman ourselves, right?"

I nodded, inwardly grinning from ear to ear. Tingalin Villa was only an isolated incident, the exception of the rule. Their determination was contagious, and I greatly appreciated it. I was supported by the best heroes there were.

* * *

 **Station Square Mall – Fri November 26; 11:42 PM – Third-person POV**

To say the mall was crowded this Black Friday was an understatement.

The six-story upscale mall was completely packed to the brim with shoppers eager to get their hands on deep post-Thanksgiving discounts on potential Christmas gifts.

It had taken Ella, Amy, and Cream about ten minutes to walk to the mall's Nordstrom store to clothes shop, and not just because a lot of people were staring at them. At least the reduced prices on the apparel within were worth the long walk.

Unfortunately, the fashion store didn't have any clothes specifically designed with Mobians in mind, so it took Ella much longer than she wanted to take searching for new clothes for Amy and Cream. At last, she settled on the children's clothing section, and she was able to find a few dresses that appeared to fit them.

While Cheese was playing in a pile of folded shirts stacked neatly in a wire bin, Ella held up a dress for Cream to see.

"I really like that dress, Miss Ella," the rabbit commented, "but can you find any dresses like mine?"

"I'll try, but I can't make any promises," Ella said as she continued looking. "By the way, that reminds me of a question I've wanted to ask you for a while now. Do your clothes ever get worn out? You've been wearing them for at least three months straight."

"Much longer than that, actually," Amy clarified, looking up from some other clothes she was examining. "These dresses are tailor-made from a special kind of material that is designed to resist wear and tear."

"That's… quite fascinating," Ella said. "But I still think we should pick out a few new outfits for you girls anyway. I'm sure you want some variety."

One of the outfits Amy really liked was a black dress with a yellow apron and a small blue necktie. It reminded her of the schoolgirl outfits the various clothing stores on Mobius sold. She thought it would look stylish on her, and was amazed that it was in her size.

As Amy took that outfit and five others she liked toward the fitting rooms, she and Cream realized that they were being stared at from various directions. Amy tried to shrug it off; while she dreamt of being famous sometimes, too much was too much.

* * *

 **Station Square Mall – Fri November 26; 11:41 AM – Chris' POV**

Meanwhile, Tails and I were walking together through another part of the mall. Ella had told us we could go together to pick up whatever we needed, and to meet back at the food court in thirty minutes. That felt like a long time, especially with all the stares we were receiving.

I was tasked with making sure Tails was within sight at all times. Of course, I trusted him to go off on his own, but this was Black Friday. The mall was packed, and the fox only came to just above my waist, which meant I could easily lose him in the crowd. He could probably fly above the crowd to get where he was going, but that would create quite an unnecessary spectacle.

At last I spotted my destination up ahead - a LEGO store. This is where I had been going for the past few years to pick up LEGO sets ever since Toys 'R' Us closed its doors. I had heard that they were slowly reopening, but it was a shame that I had to change locations to pick up sets. At least the LEGO store was still open, which I had grown accustomed to visiting.

"There sure are a lot of kits in here…" remarked Tails, looking around at the sets that lined the walls as we entered.

"I know," I replied. "But which one should I get?"

Tails shrugged. "I don't know; it's up to you," he said. He was right. There were so many choices in there.

I quickly made my way over to the Ninjago section. Ninjago was my favorite LEGO theme. The sets were awesome, the show was engaging – everything about it was amazing.

However, Tails was looking around warily. There were a lot of people here, and I couldn't blame him for being this way.

"Can we make this fast, please…?" he nervously asked. "Everyone's staring at me, and…" He trailed off, and I realized that the constant eye contact on him was making him increasingly uncomfortable.

"I'll try to hurry," I promised. _Just as long as no one does anything crazy. Which, knowing some certain Black Friday crowds, is inevitable._

At last a medium-sized set caught my eye, and I pulled it off the shelf (which one it is, it's up to your imagination). LEGO sets was one of those things I would never get tired of. I wanted to look at it longer, but time was of the essence here.

With my new set in hand, I proceeded to the counter with the money Ella had loaned to me. However, I couldn't help but notice that several people were not only casting sideglances at Tails, but some of them even attempted selfies with him. I would imagine those pictures would go straight to Instagram or SnapChat with tags such as "at the mall & ran into #MilesTailsPrower!"

In any case, this unwanted commotion caused the fox to blush and somewhat hide behind me as I paid for the set. It would have been cute under different circumstances. I took it he couldn't stand being the center of attention much longer. This made me wonder how people treated him on Mobius, since I was positive he was famous there too.

I took his gloved hand in my own to ensure he would stay by me, and we finally left the store a few moments later, leaving that crowd of people behind and stepping into the even larger stream of people bustling about. Of course, many of them glanced at Tails, and some at me as well. I tried not to pay them any mind, but it was a different story for poor Tails.

"Chris…" he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "…Do you ever get this kind of attention because you're from a famous family?"

"No…" I recalled, having to speak up because of the noise of the crowd. No one seems to look twice at me for some reason. I shrugged a little. "Maybe it's because everyone's used to me being around." Or maybe it was because I was human, and therefore fit in better by default.

Just then I was forced to stop as Tails was yanked from my grasp. Something must have been pulling on his tails, for he let out a yelp as he flew back. Turning around, I saw a young boy, maybe four, showing Tails to his mother.

"Mommy, look! Can we keep him?" the boy said excitedly.

"Jimmy, let him go," his mother told him. "He's not a stuffed animal."

With a pout, Jimmy reluctantly let go of Tails' namesakes, and the fox picked himself up and hurried back to my side.

"I'm so sorry that happened," the young mother apologized.

"It's okay," I responded, though for Tails' sake, it really wasn't.

While that little commotion was going on, even more teens were snapping pictures of us on their phones. We would be all over the Internet in a heartbeat. In fact, people were already creating memes of us. My cousin Matt loved memes, but I wasn't sure how he would feel about us being one of them.

As we continued to the next place, a small hardware store Tails wanted to check out, he was blushing furiously, curling his bushy tails around himself and trying to hide behind me. Again, it would have been adorable if it weren't for me being in the same position myself. My own cheeks were on fire from the secondhand embarrassment we were enduring.

"…Are you okay…?" I asked Tails a moment later.

"N-No…" Tails shakily answered, warily looking around. "Let's just go…"

Yes, there were some people with enough dignity to just go along their business, but even they couldn't resist a passing glance at us.

How much more of this were we able to take?!

* * *

 **Station Square Mall - Food court – Fri November 26; 11:59 AM – Chris POV**

At the hardware store, Tails had picked out a few parts he thought the Tornado 2 and the X-Tornado needed. At his request, I stood next to him the whole time to make sure no one got close to him. That didn't stop people from refusing to mind their own business, though.

Fortunately, he didn't take long at all, and we were able to reunite with the others at the food court within minutes. Tails didn't say much at all on the way over, opting to stick close to me as we headed toward the food court. I couldn't blame him; I found he was naturally shy around crowds to begin with.

I spotted Ella, Amy, and Cream seated at a vacant table, Cream and Cheese sitting with Amy at her right and Ella at her left. It must have been hard for them to reserve it, with everyone being everywhere at the same time. I took it they were waiting for us before they went in line to pick up lunch.

Of course, it went without saying that people were staring at us the whole time we went over to sit with them. Everyone was blushing from being in the social limelight, and Cream even looked a little frightened. In short, we were all exasperated with the public's treatment of us.

"Do I want to know how bad it was on your end?" Amy asked as we sat down across from the girls and set our things next to us. She looked like she was on her last nerve, and was trying her hardest not to lose her temper, which, unfortunately, was all too easy for her.

Tails was too mortified to speak, so I covered for him. "A lot of people were talking pictures and selfies of us, and one kid even thought Tails was a stuffed animal and grabbed him."

This news surprised Cream and Ella.

"What?" Cream exclaimed.

Amy gritted her teeth. "Everyone's like parasites around here," she whined. "Why can't they just leave us alone?!"

"Well, you _are_ aliens to this planet, for one," Ella said. "And now you have been established as heroes as well as celebrities." The maid held Cream closer to her. "I don't blame you for not wanting to be in the public eye. After all, this is unethical behavior."

"Were you guys ever this popular on Mobius?" I asked, having to speak up over the noise of everyone talking at once, practically gawking at the sight of their heroes in their midst. I would even say my friends were their idols – I may or may not have seen some guy wearing a tee with the word "Sonic" printed in blue on it.

"Yes, we are," Tails answered from my left, "but nothing like this!"

"That's the thing, Ella," Amy stated. "Everyone's treating us like celebrities and not like heroes." She huffed. "It's been two months. Two whole months! You'd _think_ everyone would be over the hype by now, but _nope._ "

"At this rate, no one's ever going to get used to us…" lamented Tails.

Was I really the only human on Earth who accepted the Mobians as they were, and my family followed my example? No, that couldn't be true. Danny and Frances welcomed them into their hearts as well. Helen, however, didn't meet Sonic until after the base's destruction, and I heard that she even fangirled a little upon meeting Sonic. He was cool with it.

"I'm sorry about all this," I apologized for everyone.

Amy rested her chin on her hands. "It's not your fault…" she sighed.

"What if we give them a little more time?" I reasoned. I hoped that they would eventually accept them for what they were and what the stood for, not just because of their status as new celebrities.

"Chris, it's been two months," Tails said. "Nothing's changed."

Above the din of the food court, a teenage girl appeared out of the blue and walked up to Amy.

"Hey, uh, sorry to butt in, but I really want to know – is your fur naturally that color, or is it dyed?" she asked.

This was Amy's final straw. And I _do not_ say that lightly. Watching Amy go berserk is like watching Bruce Banner go all-out Hulk. In other words, you would not like her when she is angry.

In a flash, she leaped out of her seat and brandished her feared Piko Piko Hammer.

"Will you all just go away and let us eat in peace!" she shouted across the food court. "This isn't a Comic Con, people!"

When Amy stood up, we took this as our cue to get up and join the line so we could order Subway.

As an afterthought, Amy turned to the shellshocked teen, and with a forced smile, wanly said, "And yes, it is my natural color. No offense!"

* * *

 **Santa Rosa Island - Eggman's base – Fri November 26; 12:18 PM – Third-person POV**

An excavation crew, sponsored by the U.S. Navy, was sifting through the ruins of Dr. Eggman's former headquarters.

Until today, they had not begun their task of demolishing the fortress because there was an initial fear of toxic waste in the water and radiation in the air. Fortunately, both a cursory scan and a detailed investigation of the state of the island and the surrounding ocean revealed there were only trace amounts of radiation. However, they still needed to remove all debris from the water. Additionally, it took longer than expected to get the go-ahead for this mission, which further explained its lengthy delay.

"Careful with the generator parts," the crew's foreman cautioned as several men worked on moving said parts over to a nearby barge.

After the workers moved away from that part of the fortress, something caught the foreman's eye. It wasn't like any other part of the fortress he had examined. It looked to be an unusual panel in the ground.

Curiosity overcame him, and he found himself slowly walking toward it. Just in case it was what he thought it was, he bent down and began to feel around it. However, the moment he touched the panel, he felt a vibration, as if an engine was running directly underneath it.

He quickly drew his hand back. Now he was nervous. Perhaps this was a trap door, a secret entrance to a hidden chamber underneath the known parts of the headquarters, a section only the doctor knew about.

Suddenly the entire ground began to shake, and the foreman's first thought was they were having an earthquake. He told himself it was no big deal; after all, California was no stranger to earthquakes.

But the shaking did not stop after a few seconds. On the contrary, it only got stronger. The foreman dropped to the ground to avoid losing his balance in the increasingly strong tremors.

Everyone else immediately stopped what they were doing, and speculation circulated that it was an earthquake. However, the shaking was too strong to be natural seismic activity, and this was confirmed when the sound of loud jet engines started up underneath the ground.

"Everyone get back!" the foreman ordered. At the time, even he didn't know why he gave that order. Perhaps it was a gut feeling he had and didn't realize.

As the pitch of the engines' whine rose, he himself scrambled to his feet and ran from the fortress. He made it out just in time, as much of the ground not far from where he was standing began to cave in.

What if… Dr. Eggman prepared an endgame scheme in the event of his death… and the demolition crew inadvertently set it off?!

Then they saw the source of the tremors rising out of the ground. All jaws were agape as an enormous metal object surfaced and gradually rose into the air. It looked like an airship of some sort. It was absolutely huge – it _had_ to be at least a good thousand feet long. The doctor's infamous emblem was proudly displayed just below the cockpit, an ominous sign that confirmed the foreman's deep-seated fear that he had survived.

The ship's engines ignited, reaching a near-deafening crescendo, and it began to move away from the island toward the mainland. It gained momentum faster than expected from a vehicle of that size, and was soon flying over the open water.

"He's back…" the foreman breathed fearfully. "I can't believe he's back…"

* * *

 **Station Square Mall – Fri November 26; 12:31 PM – Chris' POV**

The five of us had finally finished our lunch. While the crowds seemed to let up on relentlessly boring into our souls, we still felt high levels of anxiety nonetheless.

After we finished and threw our trash away, we made our way over to a secluded and surprisingly vacant sitting area. I guess everyone was too busy shopping to sit around and rest.

As we entered the sitting area, Amy, bringing up the rear, made a face at everyone outside. Fortunately, no one followed us in, and we had the entire area to ourselves.

We sat down in the plush seats, finally able to take a breather from the public. The room was very well-lit by the panoramic windows, which gave us a very good view of our surroundings.

"This was a total flop," sighed Amy, collapsing into one of the seats. "I'm probably not going back into town for a while."

"Like I said, you're all famous now," reminded Ella. "Also, it is Black Friday; it's a really busy day. But I understand if you don't want to come back into town."

"Actually, Amy, maybe we _should_ head out more often," Tails stated. "That way, I'm pretty sure everyone will be able to have more chances to get used to us being around." That was pretty bold of him to say, especially since he was more or less cowering from the crowd earlier.

"Maybe…" Amy pondered. "It's just that I don't want to deal with _this_ again." She huffed for what must have been the twentieth time. "To think we'll have to put up with being swarmed by them on the way back to the car…"

As they continued talking, I looked up from my LEGO set and out the window next to me. The view I had was pretty amazing. I could see a lot of the city from here, and we weren't even that high up. That was probably because this part of town did not have many high-rises.

It was a good thing I looked out the window when I did.

My jaw figuratively dropped at the sight I beheld.

My heart beat a little faster.

My eyes widened at the sight of a giant, spaceship-like craft flying into the city, almost directly toward us. It was still quite far away, but I could make out dozens of tiny robots flanking it. They were most likely the ship's escorts.

"Chris?" Tails asked, being the first to notice me. "What's wrong…?"

I didn't have to say anything, as the large craft outside spoke volumes in itself. Tails' own mouth dropped open at the sight of the battleship. I didn't know which was scarier – its sheer size, or the fact that it sported a massive drill at the front.

It didn't take long for Amy, Cream, Cheese, and Ella to also gather around us at the window. All six of us were staring in awe and terror at the massive vehicle flying into the city limits. In the moments that followed, we began to hear multiple jet engines, and the window was even starting to rattle from the sound waves they produced.

"He's back…" Amy whispered, voicing our thoughts.

Those two words hit home hard. Dr. Eggman, the very man who had held a fierce grudge against me for recovering the first Emerald, the man who attacked us at Silver Valley, Tingalin Villa, the villa's opening ceremony, and even my own school… he was back… and with a vengeance.

Amy slowly backed away from the window as Cream cowered behind Ella, and Cheese whimpered a little bit. I didn't blame them. Eggman was really scary.

"I thought we beat him…" I quietly said. "I-I mean… we saw the fortress…"

"I thought so too, Chris," Tails said, "but I know from experience that Eggman is never one to stay down for long." He closed his eyes for a moment. "I should have seen this coming."

"Everyone, listen to me!" We heard Amy shout from behind us. Turning around, we saw that she was addressing everyone outside.

"Dr. Eggman is back! You all need to evacuate! This is not a drill! I repeat, Eggman is back!"

"…We should probably get going too," Tails urgently said, pulling away from the window and scrambling back to everyone else.

"Yes," Ella nodded, picking up the numerous bags of clothes they purchased from Nordstrom. "We have to return home as fast as possible."

I too moved away from the window and scooped up my LEGO set, while Tails claimed the bag of parts he bought. We basically sprinted from the sitting area in our attempt to escape.

"Everyone stay together!" Ella called as we entered the crowd.

Amy's warning did the trick, and then some. Despite not having seen the ship themselves, people were already in hysteria over the return of Dr. Eggman. Even though he didn't do much damage overall to Station Square itself, it was due to change at literally any time. No one wanted to be swept up in the wave of chaos.

"Miss Ella, I can't keep up!" Cream called. Indeed, she was trailing behind us by a few yards. Being the youngest, she couldn't run as fast as most of us.

Without stopping in her tracks, Ella wordlessly passed Amy and me the bags she was holding and bent down to lift the small rabbit into her arms. Cheese flew beside them.

"Mr. Chris, your dream _was_ an omen!" Cream called. "How did you know?"

"I think it's just a really big coincidence!" Tails replied from in front of me, since I couldn't possibly answer that question. It was weird how Dr. Eggman indirectly motivated Tails to be less nervous around crowds. At least everyone was too busy to stare at us now.

Just then the mall's intercom activated. This meant the employees were already informed about what was happening outside.

" _Attention shoppers. Dr. Robotnik has returned. This is not a drill. A large aircraft reportedly manned by Dr. Robotnik has entered the city limits. Counteractive measures will be taken momentarily. Please remain calm and do not panic._ "

We weren't the only ones making a mad dash for the exits. It seemed that a lot of other shoppers had the same idea. All around us, people were on their phones with family members, asking if they were seeing this right now.

For whatever reason, I wasn't as scared as I should have been. It was almost as if if it wasn't real… like Eggman wasn't really here. That was probably the adrenalin working its magic.

"When did Eggman have time to build that thing?" I asked.

"I don't know!" Tails answered. "It didn't appear in the records we gathered, so it's possible he's been building it for the past two months."

"He built it in just two months?!" I was incredulous. Tails only shrugged; he was only speculating. Maybe we would get our answer eventually.

About three minutes of weaving through the crowds later, we finally found a down escalator. Ella had what she called "mall-dar" – she knew her way around the mall like the back of her hand. But the crowds were so thick that it made it hard to go places fast.

Even the escalator was packed, which didn't help at all. We were on the second floor, which meant we only had to take one escalator to reach the ground level.

This was just what I needed – Eggman was gone, presumed dead by everyone, only to return on Black Friday of all days…

…and there I was, stuck inside a crowded mall. I had a lot of questions filling my mind to the brim.

 _Why is he back?_

 _How did he possibly survive?_

 _What does he want this time?_

Finally, it was our turn to ride the escalator. What normally took two minutes to get from the sitting area to the escalator ended up taking almost six, which was way too long given the direness of the situation.

"I think Amy and I should go first," suggested Tails. "That way, if there's danger, the rest of you will be safe."

"I agree," Ella said. "Lead the way, Tails."

With that, Tails was the first to step onto the escalator, followed by Amy, then me. Ella and Cream brought up the rear. The escalator couldn't possibly move fast enough. All I wanted to do was go home so I could be safe from Eggman.

"Would it be safer if we all stayed inside instead?" Cream asked, still in Ella's arms.

"Maybe," Amy spoke from in front of me, "but if Eggman's here to have his revenge on the city, then you know we don't want to be destroyed along with it. Ella's right; we have to get out of here as fast as we can."

We reached the bottom of the escalator seconds later, though it felt a lot longer. Suddenly Tails paused.

"Guys, we're missing Cheese."

"Wait, what?!" Amy exclaimed.

"Oh no!" Cream cried out at the same time. "Find him, find him!"

This was literally the absolute worst time for anyone to get lost in a crowd. Cheese was only about as big as my head; he could be anywhere!

"I'll go look for him," volunteered Amy with an air of determination. "The rest of you get to the car now, and stay together no matter what."

"Are you sure about that, Amy?" Ella asked, genuinely concerned.

"Yes," she nodded.

"…Good luck," Ella said before we continued moving toward the doorway where we came in.

Only seconds later, I suddenly heard the sound of Eggman's foreboding voice, magnified even over the noise of the crowd around us. I figured he was using a loudspeaker to deliver an ultimatum or something.

" _To the foolish citizens of Station Square,_ " he began, quickly bringing the crowd around us to an astonished hush. " _You thought you had me beat, but I have returned. I fully anticipated the invasion the moment GUN set foot on my island. Acting accordingly, I battened down the hatches, and survived the explosion you presumed had taken my life._

" _This ship is known as the Egg Fort, which I have constructed in secret. Had your resident rodents not booted me off of Mobius, it would have been part of the Egg Fleet, but since you have robbed me of my base, this will be my new temporary headquarters. To recompense for your blow against me, your entire city will feel the full extent of my revenge as I destroy this city to pave the way for the Eggman Empire! I'm going to make it nice and slow, just like the angst you made me feel when you took my home from me. Surrender is out of the question – it won't make a difference this time._ "

My lower jaw quivered in fear as Eggman finished his speech. It was real… Eggman meant it for real this time… He was prepared… and we weren't…

The whole time Eggman gave his speech, we were still moving, but didn't stop completely. The exit doors came into view, having taken much longer than I wanted them to be.

"I hope you know where we're parked, Ella," Tails said with a slight hint of urgency.

Just as Ella was saying she did, my cell phone rang. I pulled it from my pocket, and saw that it was Chuck. I pressed the button to answer and held the phone to my ear.

"H-Hello?" I answered. I was stuttering. Guess I was more scared than I thought.

" _Do you see it too?_ " he asked grimly.

"Yeah… I can't believe he's back… He means it this time…"

" _Chris, listen… I don't have much time right now, but I need you to calm down and listen to me, okay? You and your friends and Ella need to get out of there now and come right home. I'm getting a lot of calls from people asking to send Sonic to take care of this problem._ "

Sonic… that was the best news I had heard all day.

"Did you send him?" I asked.

" _Yes. He's on his way over right now,_ " Grandpa told me, " _so he should be able to cover your escape._ " There was a pause. " _I'm getting another call right now. Stay safe, and come home quickly._ "

"Okay. Bye, Grandpa."

"What did he say?" Cream asked as I put my phone away. By now we were in the lobby, right about to reach the front doors.

"He wants us to go home right away," I said.

"Well, it's a good thing we're on our way home anyway," remarked Tails as he reached for the first set of doors.

After we passed through the second set of glass doors, we were finally outside. I had to squint at the bright sunlight that was directly above us.

It only took us seconds to spot the Egg Fort, or so Eggman called it, floating in the sky. It was partially behind the mall, which was why we couldn't see it at first. It was only a few miles away from us, but it was much closer than I remembered seeing it through the window.

The low rumble of its engines filled our ears – they were almost as loud as the noisy bass-boosted car stereos I often heard. The noise reverberated off of nearby buildings, and seemed to come from everywhere at once.

All around us, people were on their phones, and cars were pulling out of the parking lot at a rapid pace. Car horns sounded every so often from the streets.

"This is what I was afraid of…" Ella said, gently setting Cream down on the ground.

"What is?" Cream asked out of curiosity. She still looked upset that Cheese was missing.

"There are going to be traffic jams for sure," Ella replied, looking around at the increasingly congested roads. "It may take us longer than normal to get home."

"That sounds bad," commented Tails. "I hope Amy knows where to find us when she finds Cheese."

"Well, I don't see the car yet," I said, scanning the parking lot. You would think that a yellow limousine would be easy to spot in a parking lot that has more cars leaving than arriving. Seriously, where was it?

Then I felt dread in the pit of my stomach as it suddenly dawned on me.

"What if Eggman's looking for us right now?!"

"I wouldn't doubt it," Tails replied, looking back up at the Egg Fort. "For now, there's nothing we can do to stop him until we get back home and I get the X-Tornado."

That was a shame. We were helpless as long as we were out here without anything to fight back with. In fact, I didn't know if even Sonic could reach the Egg Fort. I had seen Sonic jump really high before, but that height was ridiculous.

"I see the car, Miss Ella!" Cream pointed toward the yellow limo, and started to run ahead of us toward it.

However, we immediately became aware of several thundering crashes echoing across the city. The culprits were several crane-like robots with giant wrecking balls propelling themselves from what I assumed what the Egg Fort's hangar bay.

"Checker-Wreckers, really?" Tails said in dismay upon recognizing the robots. "I thought Eggman retired those!"

Then the inevitable happened.

One of the Checker-Wreckers landed between us and our limo. Despite Ella's protests, it raised its checker-patterned wrecking ball and slammed it down onto our car, effectively cutting off our escape. It was so hard to watch.

"Oh no!" exclaimed Cream.

"That was our only way home!" I lamented.

Just then we were reminded of another small problem we had:

" _I found you, friends of the despised hedgehog! Your capture will be imminent and swift!_ "

The pit in my stomach grew larger as I saw several robots of various types flying down from the Egg Fort directly toward us, along with a few of its many escorts.

Tails pointed in a different direction, away from both the mall and the smashed car. "This way!" he shouted.

We attempted to flee in the direction Tails indicated in. It became evident Ella was growing weary; I rarely saw her run, let alone this far for this long. The rapidly descending robots were much faster than us, and easily cut us off. There were maybe several dozen of them, and just the four of us.

"We're surrounded!" exclaimed Cream.

"At least Amy's safe for now," Ella said, bring some optimism to the field.

Tails seemed impatient regarding Amy. "Where _is_ she?" he asked.

 _More importantly, where's Sonic?!_ I mentally added.

Several of the Badniks, a kind I couldn't recognize, began to charge a pink energy, and I feared to know what they were going to do to us. One of them blasted its energy at Tails before he could react, trapping him inside a pink energy bubble that started to rise into the air. The fox tried to pound on the bubble with his fists, but to no avail.

Then I caught sight of a blue blur in the distance. Sonic was here at last, and about time, too. I could breathe again, at least for a moment.

It only took him a split second to arrive at the parking lot. By the time he hurtled himself through the Badnik generating the field surrounding Tails, he was already a good fifteen feet in the air. The field deactivated, and Tails used his namesakes to hover back down to the ground, panting from the scare.

"Are you okay?" I asked, not taking my eyes off of Sonic.

Tails nodded. "Yeah. I wasn't expecting that is all."

Without breaking a sweat, I was amazed to see that Sonic had easily shredded the wrecking ball off the Checker-Wrecker in front of us. After rapidly dodging several laser blasts from the Badniks that seemed to all but forget about us, Sonic grabbed the wrecking ball by its steel cable and swung it around and around. After gaining enough momentum, he released it, and it flew straight into a group of Badniks that were conveniently clustered together. We heard the ball land with a dull thud in a part of the parking lot not occupied by any cars.

As the hedgehog continued to home-attack the rest of the Badniks, I could only stand there watching in awe. Not once did I think of running, foolhardy as it was. Tails did not join the fight; he later told me that directly protecting his friends was his first priority.

About a minute later, all nearby robots were destroyed, which brought the danger to a temporary end. Sonic landed next to us.

"Wasn't Amy with you?" he asked. "Where is she?"

"She's still inside looking for Cheese," explained Tails. "He got lost in the crowd."

Sonic looked grim, glancing up at a few more incoming robots. "I hope she finds him fast, because you need to go now."

"We were on our way out, but…" Ella gestured to the smashed limo. "… _This_ happened."

As Sonic prepared to take on the next wave of robots, it didn't take him long at all to think of a backup plan.

"I'll think of a way to get you guys him just as soon as I–" Sonic dodged another barrage of lasers aimed at him. "–take care of these persistent robots! Way past annoying, these guys are!" He pointed back toward the mall. "You need to get back inside. It's much safer in there."

Tails nodded and started running back toward the front doors. We followed shortly behind him.

"I'll come get you when it's safe!" Sonic called from somewhere behind us. I didn't look, but it sounded like he was busy dealing with the fresh wave of robots.

In our trek back to the mall, as well as relative safety, I threw a glance up at the Egg Fort, which was now stationary and still hovering about a mile or two away from the mall, or so I estimated. I had looked just in time, for I was able to see it firing several missiles down at Sonic, who was forced to abandon his fight with the Badniks and take off running, leading the missiles away from the mall.

Once again, the mall's front doors came into view. It was kind of like deja vu, but this time, instead of rushing inside to take advantage of the deals all the stores had, we were rushing inside to get away from the extent of Eggman's revenge.

"Maybe there won't be as many people in there this time," hoped Ella. "I don't know how much more running I can do… I can't believe Eggman is back…"

"Mr. Tails? Why did you not fight the robots with Mr. Sonic?" Cream asked as I held the door open for everyone.

"I would have, but there are too many robots for just the two of us to handle," answered Tails. "Besides, I'm better off with the X-Tornado."

I had to admit, Tails was right. Sometimes it was better to fall back than stand your ground knowing you're outnumbered. This was one of those times.

As we entered the lobby, we found to our dismay that Ella was wrong. The main lobby was packed with people all talking at once, either to each other or on their phones, and security officers were everywhere.

Oh boy… We could be here for a while…

"Excuse me," Ella spoke, approaching one of the officers. "What's going on here?"

"Everyone's to stay inside because it's too dangerous with all the robots outside," the officer replied.

Now that we were finally able to take a breather in the relative calm, I pulled out my phone and texted Grandpa, telling him that the robots were one step ahead of us, and they destroyed our car. Now we were stuck in the mall.

Pressing the send button, I nervously looked around outside. There was smashed metal everywhere. This day had gone from exciting, to feeling like a bug under a microscope, to downright terrifying, all in the span of two hours. Now that Eggman was back, I felt like all our hard work we did two months ago was all for nothing.

I felt a gentle touch on my arm, and looked to see Tails gazing up at me, his eyes filled with concern.

"Are you okay?" he tenderly asked.

"I hope so…" I said quietly. "It's just… a lot happened today..."

"I know," replied Tails. "But Sonic came, just like I said he would, right?"

I nodded slowly. I recalled a couple stories of past adventures that my friends had told me about. There were a few in which Tails was afraid that Sonic wouldn't come in time. But he did arrive to save the day. He had rarely let them down.

"I just texted Grandpa about the limo, so hopefully we'll be able to get home soon," I said.

"That's good," commented Tails.

Not even a minute later, my phone pinged. Grandpa had texted back with an affirming response.

"'Uncle Sam's on his way to pick you up,'" I read aloud. I didn't even have to look to know that Ella wasn't very enthused. Any car ride with my uncle meant we had to endure nearly illegal speeds.

"We should try to find Amy," suggested Cream. "I hope she found Cheese!"

With that, the four of us set off through the thick crowd. Many people were on their phones or just talking, and hardly anyone paid us any mind. This was a good thing; we didn't need the extra attention.

"Stay extra close," I reminded Tails and Cream, who both nodded. Since Mobians were naturally shorter than humans, I didn't want them to get lost in the crowd too. Once again, it was amazing how no one was staring at us now, and I greatly appreciated it.

"There she is!" Cream exclaimed, bouncing up and down a little in her excitement. I was sure she wanted to rush over to Amy, but we had to stay together; the crowd was very dense and surprisingly deep.

At last we made our way over to Amy, who was in turn approaching the exits. To our relief, we found Cheese cradled in her arms. The small Chao perked up upon noticing Cream.

"Cheese!" Cream squealed, and the two embraced in a hug. It was so adorable to watch.

"Where did you find him, Amy?" Ella asked once the rest of us drew near.

"He was hanging around the arcade section," Amy answered, gesturing somewhere behind her. "It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to find him."

"Well, I'm glad he's back with us," said Ella.

"You heard Eggman too?" I asked having to speak up over the noise of the crowd all around us. Amy nodded grimly.

"Yeah, who didn't?" she stated. After a moment, she asked, "Did you all come back inside to look for me? Is that why you're back here?"

"Not really," I said. "Eggman sent down a tons of robots. Sonic's here to stop them, but… they destroyed the limo."

"Wait, _what_?!" Amy exclaimed, starting to get worked up.

I was just about to speak where there came the sudden sound of glass breaking from the doorway we had entered at, followed by screaming and most of the people around us moving away from the doors. I looked up to see two different swarms of Motobugs speeding through the now-broken doors. They numbered about twenty in total.

"I'll handle this," Amy declared as she pulled her Piko-Piko Hammer from Hammerspace. She charged toward the Motobugs, followed closely by Tails.

Together, the hedgehog and the fox easily eliminated most of them, Amy using her hammer, and Tails using his namesakes. I was intrigued at the way Tails fought; I had never seen him fight like that before.

However, four of the remaining robots managed to slipped past them and started to bear down on the rest of us. That's when I noticed a determined gleam in Cream's eyes.

"Don't worry," she boldly told us. "Cheese and I can handle this!"

I was surprised. Cream was so young and docile. What could she possibly do to stop these robots?

As an answer, the young rabbit scooped up Cheese and raised him into the air.

"Cheese Shot!" she called.

Cream promptly hurled the Chao directly into the four Motobugs, easily destroying them on the spot. Tails and Amy were astonished at Cream's bravery, and I was even more so. I was left fumbling for words.

"I… I didn't… know you could…"

"I don't like fighting," Cream explained, "but I only fight if I have to."

I had to admit, Cream was really modest about all this. I wondered if and when she had taken part in battles before. I never once saw her as the fighting type. I couldn't believe she actually had it in her.

As Amy and Tails checked to make sure there weren't any other imminent robot threats in the area, Cheese returned to Cream. To my surprise, he looked like he was completely unharmed.

"…Does Cheese get hurt doing that…?" I asked in confusion. Cream shook her head, which only added to my bewilderment.

Amy and Tails returned, satisfied that we were safe for now. Tails was smiling broadly.

"You were amazing, Cream!" he praised.

Cream smiled, blushing a little. "Thank you," she said quietly.

However, I couldn't help but feel disappointment welling up in me. I had done nothing at all to help my friends. Now that apparently even Cream could fend for herself, I felt like the weakest link. Then again, what could a human child do to an army of metal combat robots?

As the security officers gradually ushered the crowd, including us, away from the doors and windows, we regrouped together.

"Now Eggman knows we're in here," Amy stated once we got close. "Does anyone know if Sonic's going to take us home?"

"I texted Grandpa earlier, and he's sending Uncle Sam to come pick us up," I explained.

"Really?" Amy said. "How long is he going to be?"

"He could be a while, depending on his distance and volume of traffic," calculated Tails. "However, if he lives up to his ego, he could be here on the soon-ish side." I nodded in agreement.

As if on cue, we could hear a car horn honking from nearby. I knew he was fast, but talk about impeccable timing. Now we could finally get home.

"I think that's him," Ella said, turning toward the doors.

"I hope so," I added. "I heard a lot of honking earlier, so it could also be someone else."

We quickly walked toward the doors with our things. A few other people tried to follow us, but the guards held them back, saying we could go but not them because we were celebrities. I assumed they were waiting for the police to show up before anyone else could leave.

"Careful of the glass," Amy cautioned as we traded carefully across the sharp tiny shards on our way out. That didn't prevent us from hearing the sound of crunching glass underneath our shoes, though.

As we emerged into the open air once more, sure enough, Sam Speed's car was outside waiting for us. There were trashed robots everywhere, and Sonic was nowhere to be seen. In short, the parking lot looked like a war zone.

Sam remotely opened the car's side doors, then leaned across the seat next to him to manually open the passenger's door. The car was cluttered inside – mostly clothes, but the occasional fast food wrapper as well.

"Sorry about the mess," he apologized. "Just moves the clothes aside and sit wherever you want."

Finally able to get our aching feet some relief, Ella climbed into the passenger's seat, while I got in and crossed the seats to sit on the left side of the car. Tails sat next to me on the right side, and Cream and Amy sat behind us in the very back. We were all able to bring our purchases; nothing was accidentally left behind.

Sam floored the gas, and we lurched forward across the parking lot. _Here we go again…_

"So Chuck told me your ride got busted," Sam remarked.

Ella was seething, a sure sign to stay away from her. "You have _no_ idea how much that limo cost," she said darkly.

In seconds flat we reached the edge of the parking lot, ready to head out onto the main road.

"Traffic was already getting pretty bad when I was coming out here, so it's probably gonna take a bit longer than I'd like to get you guys back home," warned Sam.

"The first thing I'm doing as soon as we get back is call Mr. Thorndyke and order a new limo," Ella commented.

As we made a left turn and joined with the city's snarled traffic, I could only stare out my window in awe and terror at the massive shape of the Egg Fort as it hovered menacingly over the city. I felt so hopeless… My only consolation was the fact that Sonic was here to do something about it.

* * *

 **Station Square – Fri November 26; 1:01 PM – Sonic's POV**

What a day Egghead picked to wreak havoc across the city.

There I was, taking out all kinds of robots as they descended from the Egg Fort to invade the city. Most of them were Motobugs and Buzz Bombers, but there were also Orbinauts and the occasional E-42 Checker-Wrecker.

Eggman was dead serious about destroying the city. However, thanks to my gift of speed, these robots were only causing minimal damage to the city's structures.

I had overseen the safe departure of my friends. Yeah, I know I told them I would personally get them home, but good thing they had another friend they could count on to pick them up. I would never have thought of suggesting Chris' uncle. Now all I needed to do was make sure they could get home safely. Keeping an eye on their car would be mondo tricky given the traffic and my constant bobbing and weaving through Badniks and their various weapons.

I cast an upward glance at the looming Egg Fort in all its glory. It was huge, looking like it could easily carry thousands of robots aboard. In short, it looked every inch the Egg Fleet ship.

Good thing I looked up when I did, or I wouldn't have noticed the several orange shapes descending from the ship. I immediately recognized them as E-43 Falcons. Created for the sole purpose of hunting elusive targets, they were nearly unshakable, even for me. They were among the most dangerous small robots.

It didn't even take the Falcons two seconds to locate me and give chase. That was all I needed to take off down the street. Of course, they made a beeline for me, just as I expected them to. I thought that maybe Eggman sent them down to toy with me while the other robots captured my friends and destroyed the city. That wouldn't happen in my book.

I weaved through the winding streets of Station Square, even through the city's narrow alleys, in my effort to get them off my trail, but the Falcons kept up their pursuit, even firing lasers just ahead of my path. There was simply no shaking them. What was a hedgehog to do?!

Then an idea came to mind. What if I were to somehow ride one of them up to the Egg Fort and take care of the root of the problem at its source?

That left just one tiny problem. If I _did_ do that, all the remaining Falcons would shoot at me, and last I checked, hedgehogs just aren't made to be barbecued. This meant I had to take out all but one of them.

Putting my wits to good use, I suddenly stopped and spun myself in place, allowing three of the four Falcons to run into me before their processors could calculate what was happening. Once they were gone, I tried to hop onto the back of the last one, but it was two steps ahead of me. It did a barrel roll and resumed the chase, blasting at me. These robots were really tricky. The only way I could hitchhike on that last Falcon was if I took it by surprise.

I caught sight of nearby light pole, and leaped up toward it. Then I swung around the top of it, just like in the Olympics, and stuck the landing on the Falcon's back. I firmly gripped the sides of the E-Series robot, just in case it would try to shake me off. I wasn't about to take any chances. I could only hope it would get me close enough to the Egg Fort for me to board it.

Just as I expected, the E-43 began to fly erratically, attempting to throw me off and make me lose my grip. But I held on tight, no matter how turbulent it got. Fortunately, its aimless flight path started to head in the general direction of the Egg Fort, making my goal that much easier.

Suddenly I realized another thing that made these robots extremely dangerous. Eggman had equipped them with the ability to self-destruct. I had to get off this thing fast and find a way onto the Egg Fort before the Falcon exploded.

I braced myself, looking skyward to the giant subspace ship.

 _Now or never…_

I pushed myself off the robot's back with all my might and soared through the air toward the Egg Fort mere seconds before the E-43 exploded. That wasn't my closest call ever, but it was still mondo close.

However, Eggman even thought _this_ plan out. Just when it looked like I was able to reach its open hangar bay, a green force field projected itself around the entire ship, preventing me from entering it. It was so unexpected, and the sudden impact injured my outstretched hand. I otherwise bounced off and fell back toward the city below.

Thanks to my expert reaction and recovery skills, I was able to land expertly on my feet. I took another look up at the Egg Fort. The whole thing was completely unfazed and still churning out robots at a decent clip. The shield, which was now visibly fading into obscurity again, prevented me from getting inside. Eggman really thought things out. This meant I had to find another way to destroy it.

Just then the fifty or so Buball escort units all descended away from the ship and split into two swarms. Unsurprisingly, one of them was headed in my direction, but the other was traveling to another location in particular. There wasn't anything over there… except…

Then I realized where they were headed. I had let my guard down. My friends were in danger yet again.

I raced in the direction the Buball swarm went it. With any luck, I would make it there before they reached the car.

* * *

 **Station Square – Fri November 26; 1:04 PM – Chris' POV**

Our trip home continued in an eerie silence. Actually, it wasn't so much a trip as it was a mass evacuation.

I could only stare in shock and awe at the massive Egg Fort as it loomed over the city, sending robot after robot to fight Sonic. I could get an occasional glance at Sonic as he destroyed them, preventing them from laying waste to the city. But for each robot that fell victim to Sonic, two or three were always there to replace it.

I was scared that Station Square would not survive Eggman's vengeance. His previous base was immobile, and located miles out, so we could at least get _some_ warning as to when he would attack. But the Egg Fort was fully mobile, which meant he could take it anywhere he wanted and attack at any time.

"He's more dangerous than ever…" I spoke quietly, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," whispered Tails. "This is starting to bring back memories of the Egg Carrier."

"What's the Egg Carrier?" I asked. "Is it like another Egg Fort?"

"It is," Amy spoke from behind us, "except it's a bit bigger." Leaning forward, she asked, "Sam, how far are we from the house?"

"At this rate… I'd say about twenty-five minutes," my uncle replied. "Traffic looks to be stopped up ahead, so it could be even longer than that. Too bad I can't legally speed when I'm off-duty."

He was absolutely right. There was no way he could speed, and even if he did, his record would be tarnished. We were better off waiting out the twenty-five minutes, as long as nothing happened to us along the way.

"Look!" came Cream's voice. I looked out the window just in time to see a few orange specks descending toward the ground, having emerged from the Egg Fort's hangar bay.

"What is it?" Tails asked, scooting himself closer to me to take a better look. His eyes widened when he realized what those specks were.

"Oh no…" he breathed. "Those are E-43 Falcons. I was hoping Eggman wouldn't use them…"

"How dangerous are they?" I asked in wary curiosity.

"About three weeks before we came here, we had to fight a huge group of them," Tails explained. "I almost lost the Tornado because of them. It took everything I had to escape them alive."

"Wow…" was all I could say. "They're that bad?"

Tails nodded. "They're known to efficiently and aggressively pursue their targets, and can even self-destruct when they need to."

"Now they're chasing Sonic!" Cream reported, leaning across Amy to get a closer look.

"You don't need to worry about him, Cream," Amy reassured. "He can handle himself really well."

"I think I see an off-ramp up ahead," Sam reported with a glint of hope in his voice.

"But is it worth it, though?" Ella asked. "It could take us longer to get home that way."

I could figuratively feel Sam's smirk. "Well, they don't call me the Wild Express of Love for nothing, you know?" he stated.

Everyone, excluding myself, blinked in surprise. It wasn't really a surprise to me, what with my uncle's ego and strange nicknaming habits. Even Grandpa thought of them as strange. They grew on me for whatever reason.

"The Wild Express of… Love…?" Amy repeated in confusion.

Sam threw a playful glance back at Amy. "Hey, love doesn't always mean romance, you know," he quipped.

I was distracted by a sudden green flash coming from the distant Egg Fort. Amy and I seemed to notice it more than Tails and Cream, since we were seated in the left side of the car. Since Sam had his eyes on the road, he was only able to catch it peripherally.

"What was that flash?" he urgently asked.

"He's falling!" Amy pointed out the window. Sure enough, Sonic was plummeting out of the sky from outside the Egg Fort, and I wondered how he even got up there.

"Wait, _what_ happened?" Tails asked in confusion, leaning over me to take a look for himself.

"I think it might have been a force field," I speculated.

"Well, that would explain things," Tails said. "Eggman really thought things out this time."

Sam put his blinker on, since we were stuck in the middle lane. The clicking noise filled the otherwise tense silence in the car.

"Guys, I'm not sure if we can make it with all the traffic," Sam said, his hope slowly diminishing.

"We're going to have to," said a determined Ella. "Because if we miss this exit, then nobody's going anywhere for a good while."

"Well, we're not nobody," Sam said, mirroring Ella.

"Are we stuck in traffic, Uncle Sam?" Cream asked.

I didn't think we were stuck outright; traffic was just very slow-moving with everyone trying to evacuate the city. However, Sam responded with a hearty affirmation:

"Not anymore."

His eagle eyes spotted an opening in front of us, and he was able to pull between two cars and finally exit the freeway. I held on as he accelerated down the ramp toward DeSoto Avenue, and immediately made a left at the light. I thought this was a very wise move, since traffic was much lighter here.

"Guys, I need to focus on driving, so I won't be able to see what Eggman's up to," Sam announced. "I'm gonna need you let me know what going on outside."

"Okay," the rest of us except Ella said at the same time.

I craned my neck to see if there was any activity from either Sonic or Eggman. So far, there was none except for the continuous wave of robots descending from the ship.

"Chris, Amy, you both have a better view than I do, so I might not be able to help you as much," Tails said.

"I don't think that should stop you from trying," I encouraged.

Amy gestured out the window. "The escorts are heading down," she reported.

"Looks like they're… splitting up?" I guessed, before our view was obstructed by several trees lining the avenue.

"Amy, can you tell what kind they are?" Tails asked.

"Not yet," she replied, "but they're all the same type."

"I saw them splitting into two groups," I repeated.

"Does this mean Eggman is trying to find us?" Cream asked with some worry.

"I hope not," Amy said. "'Cause if he does, we're gonna be in big trouble."

"I don't think Eggman even knows who Uncle Sam is or what his car looks like," I hoped. The trees were still blocking our view of the Egg Fort.

"That's not entirely true," Tails pointed out. "Eggman probably saw us getting in the car, and is tracking it right now. At least, I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case."

"We're about fifteen minutes away," Sam answered the unspoken question. Of course, his fifteen minutes roughly translated to thirty minutes for anyone else.

He glanced into the rearview mirror, and his relaxed expression became grim. "I think something's following us," he stated.

We all looked behind us, while Ella relied on her own rearview mirror. Sure enough, there were almost twenty E-33 Buballs chasing us. I somehow knew our escape attempt would eventually be thwarted.

"They found us…" I reported, that sinking feeling forming once more.

"Okay, hang on," Sam announced as he throttled the gas, increasing his speed to as fast as the limit would allow. I had to hang on to my seat, even if we weren't going that fast.

"What are they doing now?" he asked us.

Cream peered carefully at the approaching robots, most of which I couldn't see now.

"They're… flying above us," she said.

Sure enough, the swarm of Buballs came into view once more, this time flying well ahead of us. I thought they were going to attack us or something, which made me wonder what they were up to.

Then I figured out their game. They were arranging themselves at the next four-way intersection, blocking off all parts of the road except the right turn lane.

"What are they doing?" Ella asked in both surprise and confusion.

"I think it's a trap," Sam said grimly as he swung the car to the right. "It's like he _wants_ us to go this way."

"I don't like it," Amy commented.

I wondered what Eggman was planning if he wanted us to deviate from our original path home. If it was a trap, then I hoped that Sonic would find out about us before it was too late.

"Don't these things usually have the ability to list things into the air?" Tails pointed out.

"What?!"

If what Tails said was true, that they _could_ lift things into the air, such as our car, then we were so dead. I became more scared than I was before. Earlier, it was a weird conflict of emotions, but now it was only fear.

How could this get any worse?!

"Motobugs are chasing us now," Amy urgently reported.

Jinxed it.

"Yup. Definitely a trap," Tails said.

"Is there anything we can do?" Cream exclaimed as the Motobugs came closer to us.

"Actually, there is," came Amy's voice from behind me. She had a dangerous gleam in her eye whenever she was like this, which was usually not a good sign… at least, from my perspective.

"This car's a convertible, right Sam?" she asked.

"Yeah…" Sam answered, confused at the question. "…Why?"

Amy had a confident smirk, not unlike Sonic's. "I want to deal with these robots _personally_."

"That's crazy!" Sam exclaimed incredulously. "I'm still driving!"

"So what?" shrugged Amy. "That hasn't stopped me before."

Sam gripped the wheel harder. "I can't risk stopping, but I'll see what I can do."

I became aware of bright lights flying past our windows for the briefest moment. It only took me a moment to realize that the Motobugs were firing warning shots at us, many of them falling short of the car, but frequently hitting other objects along the street.

"Sam, stop the car!" Ella shouted.

Almost immediately, Sam slammed the brakes on, and we were jolted forward slightly when the car stopped. And then I saw it: a giant robot that looked like some of the other robots I had been told about. I think they called this one an Egg Hammer…?

"What on Earth?! That thing is huge!" exclaimed my uncle upon seeing the monstrosity blocking our path. "…I guess this is your chance, Amy."

My uncle pressed a button that opened the car's roof. By this point, Amy had already unbuckled and was climbing over the back of out seat between me and Tails. In an almost superhuman manner, she leaped clear through the sunroof and landed on top of the car, drawing her feared hammer to challenge the robots. Tails unbuckled and climbed up after her. By this point the Egg Hammer was starting to slowly advance toward us.

But before he leaped into the fray, he turned back to face us. "You should probably stay inside the car for safety, okay?" he told us.

"Don't let any of them near the car, especially the tires!" warned Sam. Without tires, there would be no way we could get home.

In seconds, the sounds of fighting filled the air, and the various Motobugs and Buballs fell victim to Amy and Tails' synergetic teamwork. Once again, I felt helpless. I was lucky that they considered me a friend and all, but… I hadn't done _anything_ to help today.

"Look out!" Cream shouted from behind me before cowering in her seat. The Egg Hammer was practically on top of us now, and was raising its giant mallet above its head.

"SAM!" screamed Ella, and Sam obeyed the unspoken command to back up.

He thrust the gear lever into position and hit the gas, backing us up as fast as his car would allow. He was just in time, too; the Egg Hammer slammed its giant hammer onto the road where the car had just been. That was a really close call. It was a good thing Sam always acted fast. To be honest, he had nothing on Sonic, no offense.

"It doesn't look like they want us to leave," stated Ella.

"Well, we're gonna leave," countered Sam.

"Not without Tails and Amy, you don't."

"No," Sam bemusedly shook his head. "Of course not."

The robots' lasers kept coming, whizzing right past our windows. Some of them even grazed the finish, much to my uncle's dismay, and we cringed at every near impact. Once again, I hated being caught right in the middle of a battle. This brought back a few memories of our fight against Missile Wrist, and the attack on Eggman's base. The sensation that there could be an explosion that could take you out at any second… that was enough to put fear in me.

Before I could even blink, Sonic showed up on the scene, turning my momentary fear into relief.

"Sonic's here!" Cream and I exclaimed at the same time.

It took the hedgehog no time at all to deduct that the Egg Hammer was the biggest problem. He curled into a little blue ball of energy and hurtled himself toward the giant Badnik, but it easily swatted him away with its namesake. I cringed at the impact. I had to admit, its hammer was mighty, but Amy's was way better – and, for the record, scarier.

Cream had unbuckled too (not a wise move in a moving car), and was kneeling on her seat, looking out the back window.

"Mr. Tails and Miss Amy are almost done breaking the robots," she told us.

"I know," I said, not taking my eyes off of Sonic. "But that's not what I'm worried about."

Sam continued to move us in reverse, not daring to stop even for a moment. It didn't take long for Sonic to return to the scene (I was grateful for his immediately recovery). Using a few Buballs as leverage, vaulted himself into the air toward the Egg Hammer. In the meantime, Amy slammed a Motobug into the Egg Hammer to serve as a distraction while Sonic expertly drove his body through the Super Badnik's head, engulfing it in a huge explosion.

However, three seconds later, there was a metallic crunch that seemed to come from the car's right taillight.

"What was that?" Sam urgently asked. Cream, having a much better view than I did, was able to get a good look at what it was.

"Chao chao," Cheese reported, apparently having seen it first.

"Part of the robot hit the car," Cream translated. I still had no idea how she was the only one who could understand the Chao language. I even asked her about it, and said she just knew. Maybe it was because she spent a lot of time with Cheese before they came to Earth.

Sam let out a frustrated sigh. Evidently he was hoping something like this wouldn't happen. And I couldn't blame him. This was one of those "if-bad-things-can-happen-they-will-happen" days.

"I don't get paid enough for this…" I could hear him mutter.

"You can still drive, right?" Ella asked.

Sam warily looked around for more robots. "I _think_ so…"

Things went from bad to worse when several remaining Buballs began to approach us and charge lasers – and Tails and Amy weren't looking!

"Uncle, drive!" I called out.

"I _am_ driving–"

" _Forward_!"

Sam shifted gears and was barely able to move us forward when the five remaining Buballs fired their beams. Instead of vaporizing us like I expected them to, they generated a translucent field around us and started to lift us up toward the Egg Fort.

This was exactly what Tails was warning us about! They could lift things into the air, rendering us completely helpless unless the Buballs were somehow destroyed. We were moving fast enough that we were already a good thirty feet in the air by the time Sonic noticed us.

My friends outside did not hesitate to leap into action. Tails immediately went airborne, using his namesakes to whip one Buball into a second. Sonic picked up the third and smashed it into the fourth. With only one Buball left, we felt the car slowly descend toward the ground. I caught sight of the last robot firing defensive lasers at Sonic, who avoided them like child's play.

The car reached the ground seconds later with a not-so-gentle bump, and Amy smashed the last Buball with her hammer before it could do anything.

Now that all robots in the immediate area were finally destroyed (again), Sonic leaped atop the car.

"You all okay in there?" he called down to us.

"We're okay, Mr. Sonic!" Cream answered for all of us. However, there were still a few questions to be answered.

"Do you have any idea why those things lifted us into the air just now?" Sam asked.

Sonic glanced up at the Egg Fort. "Well, the way I see it, Eggman was trying to take you up to the Egg Fort, probably to turn you guys into robots or whatever it is he does. Anyway, coast's clear, so you should have smooth sailing home."

"Why don't you get the door for Amy and Tails," Ella requested.

I reached for the door handle next to me and pulled it open. Without being asked, Cream did the same for the other door. Tails was the first one in; he entered on my side and climbed past me to get to his seat. Amy was right behind him. Also entering at the left side, she made her way to the back and sat down next to Cream, scrunching her nose in disgust at the condition of the car's inside. My uncle was not the neatest person in the world.

Cream and I both shut our doors. The rabbit looked slightly disappointed that no one got in her side of the car.

At the same time, Sam retracted the sun roof and rolled down his window. "Hey… Thanks a bunch, Sonic," he said. "I owe you one."

"No you don't," Sonic modestly replied. "Stay safe out there. I'll be covering you."

"We need to get the X-Tornado, Sonic," Tails called from next to me. "I think it's the only way we can take down the Egg Fort."

"You may be right," Sonic agreed. "I tried to board the thing earlier, but Eggy was way ahead of me. He put a force field around the entire ship, so… yeah."

"That's what we figured," said Amy.

"Now I gotta go stall him while you get home," Sonic said, before disappearing in a brilliant blue streak.

Sam started the car forward once more, then made a U-turn back in the direction we were supposed to go. Fortunately, all the debris that would have been in our path had been cleared by my friends after their battle. They were very thorough, I'll give them that. Additionally, there weren't many cars around us, except for the odd police car.

"At least I can still drive," Sam commented. "That's all that matters. Soon as I get back home, I'm gonna get the damage to the car fixed." _And maybe clean it out a little_ , I mentally added, cringing at an empty box of McDonald's fries… with a few stale fries still inside. Gross…

It took us twenty minutes to get home, thanks to the traffic, but at least we weren't stuck in it like we were earlier, for which I was grateful.

We finally made it through the gates of home… finally. And here Uncle Sam called himself the Speed King or whatever he called himself at the time. Something to do with love…?

Once the car slowed to a complete stop in front of the grand front doors, all of us except Sam stepped out of the car, and we brushed ourselves down, particularly Ella and Amy, and checked for anything from inside the car that might be sticking to us. This was another reason Ella didn't like traveling with my uncle a lot.

"Sorry about the limo," Sam apologized.

"It's not your fault," sighed Ella. "That reminds me, I must call Mr. Thorndyke and request a new one. We've had that limo since just before Chris was born."

"Aww… That's a real pain," sympathized Sam. "Anyway, I gotta go. Take care, and good luck stopping Eggman."

We exchanged goodbyes, and my uncle roared out of the driveway. Seriously… if he kept boasting about his speed, he could probably challenge Sonic to a race. The victor would be real clear, and I couldn't wait to see the look on Sam's face when he lost that race. No offense… Sam was still the fastest human in Station Square.

A split second later, Sonic ran through the gates and stopped just like that. Friction-proof sneakers really worked wonders.

"Just took out a couple more bots looking for you guys," he reported, before turning in the direction of the garage. "Ready to go, Tails?"

"More than ready!" Tails eagerly exclaimed. I had to admit, Tails was really cute when he was excited like this.

Sonic turned to me next. "It's probably best that you don't come with us, Chris," he advised. "It's just gonna be more of what you went through at Eggman's base, and I know how much you hated being there. Same goes with you, Cream," he added, nodding in the bunny's direction. "It's gonna be way past dangerous."

"You're right," I admitted.

"You coming too, Ames?" invited Sonic.

"Always," she answered with determination.

After we exchanged goodbyes with Sonic, Amy, and Tails, they raced for the X-Tornado, and the rest of us walked toward the front doors, where we were let in by Tanaka. Only about a minute later, the sound of jet engines filled the air, and the plane took off into the sky. I could only hope they would pull it off…

* * *

 **Station Square – Fri November 26; 1:44 PM – Sonic's POV**

The Egg Fort was still hovering over the city once we returned to the heart of Station Square – and it was still pumping out robots. I wouldn't be down there to stop them, but I would take care of them as soon as Eggman was scrambled.

From my perch atop the X-Tornado's wing, I faced the giant flying fortress. I was fully aware that it had a force field that prevented me from boarding it earlier. There was always a possibility that not even the X-Tornado's laser cannons could penetrate it, but it was still worth a try.

Just as I expected, the Egg Fort fired its massive array of missiles and lasers the moment we entered its range. While Tails was able to steer us away from the weaponry with the greatest of ease, I caught sight of one of the missiles striking a small building beneath us.

That was bad. _Mondo_ bad. The more stuff Eggman threw at us, the more innocent bystanders would get caught in the crossfire. Fighting over the city was a no-go. We had to lure the doc away from the populated areas somehow.

I carefully climbed toward the front cockpit, and knocked on the glass to get Tails' attention. Once he looked up, I indicated toward the Egg Fort, then pointed out across the ocean, hoping Tails would get what I meant. If we could lure Eggman away from the city and way out to sea, no one would get hurt… well, except for Eggy's pride, that is.

Tails nodded, and gradually steered the plane toward the ocean. As a cherry on top, I made a face at Eggman to taunt him. I could only imagine his rage right now. Sure enough, the Egg Fort began to slowly turn toward us and follow us as the terrain below us changed from land to sea. My plan was working.

Over the next five or so minutes, both of our craft were now well over the open water, dozens of miles out, to the point where land was only a speck in the distance. During this whole time, the Egg Fort had been firing nonstop at us, but Eggman's efforts were pointless thanks to Tails' expert piloting.

For some reason, Eggman hadn't deployed any new Badniks during our chase. Maybe the doc was being overconfident today. Of course, another possible reason they weren't coming after us was because he didn't want to run the risk of shooting down his own robots. But there were tons of other battles like this in which he _did_ send robots out, so… maybe he was already running out of them.

Just then I caught sight of a new weapon – a giant front-mounted cannon charging energy. I could see Amy frantically telling Tails about it from within the X-Tornado. I hoped my best friends would be able to avoid it, assuming it was a standard superlaser cannon.

It took ten seconds of charging, give or take, before it fired a massive laser in our direction. The majority of it missed completely, but a tiny part of the laser clipped the bottom of the plane, causing smoke to emit from the impact zone. That's when I recalled something I learned earlier.

The day after the X-Tornado's first flight, I had listened to Tails tell me about some of its key features. My memory was a little rusty, not to mention a lot of my brother's technical jargon passed over my head, but the one thing I did pick up was one of the energy circuits' key components was located in the blast zone. That meant we could only fly at full speed for a few minutes at most. On the bright side, it could take as many as five minutes for Eggman to recharge his superlaser.

Once we had gained enough ground, Tails turned the X-Tornado around and opened fire upon the Egg Fort, but all the lasers were absorbed by the force field. I was afraid that would happen, but at the same time, it was to be expected.

Just then I came up with an idea. If I couldn't penetrate the force field with my own strength, could I do it any better with the aid of a Power Ring?

Leaning forward, I tapped on the glass again, then made an O with my hand. That was the sign we agreed on whenever I requested a ring. Tails gave a thumbs-up and pressed the appropriate button, launching a Power Ring from the craft.

Bracing myself, I leaped off the craft after the ring, knowing very well that one mistimed leap would mean a wet end for me. Nevertheless, I expertly caught the power ring, absorbing its energy.

Now that I could spin myself in any direction regardless of gravity, I shot myself upward and bolted toward the Egg Fort. I was unsure if I could penetrate force field even in this state, but I had to try. I could do this.

Maybe I underestimated the Power Ring's power, because I was able to penetrate the force field with ease. Uncle Chuck designed these things to empower me and destroy just about anything Eggman threw at me. It was a shame he was no longer with us. I still missed him to this day. If only he could see me now…

Reminiscing aside, the may laser turrets all missed their mark by a long shot. Now that I was inside the force field, I propelled myself toward the bottom of the Egg Fort's bridge, which appeared to be one of its weak spots, and shredded through the hull with the greatest of ease. Seriously, the doctor had put waaaay too much time into building that hunk of junk.

I could hear a series of explosions starting up from within the ship, and I steered myself back toward the approaching X-Tornado and landed on its wing just as the ring energy tapered off. I could have gone for the engines, but I only wanted to disable his flying fortress, not destroy it outright.

As Tails steered us back toward the shore, I watched impassively as the massive Egg Fort started to plunge into the ocean, creating a mighty splash. It was quite a sight to behold.

Quite ironic, actually… Eggman came back for revenge, and he went down just like that. Now it was up to him to survive on his own.

Even though I still had to pick off the remaining robots in the city, the city was safe once again, and people could bargain hunt in peace. However, I knew we hadn't seen the last of Dr. Eggman. He would return one day, and whenever he did, I would be ready.

* * *

 **A/N:** And that's that! This was a really fun chapter to rewrite. I enjoyed extending the scenes in the middle of the episode more than I thought I would. Sometimes when I'm in the car, I look out the window, and imagine what if one of Eggman's flying fortresses was in the sky, and what would happen if the Sonic cast was real. What would my emotions be then? That's how that scene was written.

You may have noticed the new scene headers. I wanted to give it a realistic feel, with date and time stamps.

Key differences are as follows, and this time, I'm serious about listing them, rather than joking around as I have before.

¶ I gave the gang a purpose to go shopping. I thought two months might be enough time passage between episodes, not to mention Black Friday was conveniently located within that timeframe.

¶ Sonic is not the only one getting a cell phone. These may come into play later.

¶ I greatly extended all the mall scenes, not to mention add a few new ones. I thought Cheese getting lost in the crowd would be a nice touch as well.

¶ Chuck has been added as a background character. He is also the explanation of how Sam showed up at the mall.

¶ All Eggman scenes have been removed, so as to keep the tense flow going. Eggman scenes will return in the next chapter.

¶ Badniks!

¶ Tails, Amy, and even Cream are no longer useless characters in this episode.

¶ A man has fallen into the river in LEGO City.

¶ Mr. Stewart has been removed from the episode. Aside from using a hand mirror to stop a few Buballs, he was useless. There was no reason he needed to get in the car with Sam; it was crowded as it was.

¶ Tanaka and his truck also do not appear; the only reason they were there was to bring the X-Tornado to Tails. This is lazy writing in my opinion.

¶ The chase scenes have been made more intense, and Sonic has been added to them. He saves the others instead of Mr. Stewart, which makes more sense.

¶ Chris has been removed from the battle against the Egg Fort; he played no role in it in the episode.

In the case that I had adapted the previous episode, here are the following changes I was originally planning.

The recap scenes would have been in this episode. I was also debating on adding Sam Speed to the episode. Additionally, Eggman's perception filter technology from chapter 4 would have been overused; his robots would be disguised as government soldiers, having taken their technology to defeat Sonic with. Also, at the end, Jerome would have just taken a picture himself with his smartphone instead of fainting in exasperation. Had this episode been adapted, it would be called "Spirit of Adventure".

STRANGE, ISN'T IT?! I'm glad I decided not to adapt this episode; it was too hard to work with, not to mention it was filler.

In closing, I want to announce that I have ported this story to Archive of Our Own and DeviantArt. The ports are updated versions of this story, which will soon be updated here as well. The AO3 version of this story is only for registered users (premium content, if you will), and is updated two weeks before DA. After Chapter 13 is uploaded to AO3, all future chapters will be uploaded there two weeks before they are ported here and on DA, so of you want to read it early, feel free to get an AO3 account!

If anyone is OOC, or Mary Sue activity is detected, please let me know and I'll fix it ASAP.

Next up is "Depths of Danger", where the gang go on a vacation and find that [redacted] fourth Chaos Emerald! Don't miss it!


	15. The Monterey Excursion

**A/N:** I couldn't have picked a better time to write this story. First, Sonic X comes to Netflix. Now, the Japanese can finally watch the Metarex Saga on their TVs! What's with the popularity surge in Sonic X lately? While I doubt it will get a reboot or anything, I can only keep my fingers crossed that we'll get a new Sonic anime series next year or something!

First off, I want to thank my newest fan **Gurahk** for binge-reading this story and reviewing every chapter. My review count has shot up from 83 to 106. I am absolutely astounded. Not to mention **SuperTailsFan0812** thought the last chapter was so good she reviewed it not once, not twice, but three times! Check out her latest story, "An Author's Adventure"!

Sorry to change moods all of a sudden, but I just want to rant a little bit concerning Sonic movie spoilers. There are YouTubers out there who are outright posting spoilers not only in the titles of their videos, but also the thumbnails. One of the channels I'm subscribed to is guilt of this. Not to mention it popped up as a desktop notification, which I cannot possibly avoid. Someone posted a fanfiction containing a spoiler in the cover art, and the spoiler is even in the avatar of someone on a Sonic Discord server I'm part of. Now for courtesy's sake, I will not tell you what it is, and I wish I didn't know it, because I haven't seen this movie yet, even though I'm sure everyone and their brother has already. Due to my life situation and circumstances, I'm not able to go see it in theaters, so I have to wait for it to come out on DVD, so I won't be able to join the fam until maybe early June at the earliest.

Now that that's out of the way, I wanted to share one of my new favorite fanfictions - "Blue Hedgehog Psychology" by SmallInsect. She is the author who created the wildly popular (and sadly now-deleted) fanfiction "Chaos Mythologies". It's in my favorites if you're interested. It may be abandoned, at least for now, and I won't give away the plot or anything, but I made a subtle reference to it in the beginning of the last chapter. Let me know if you can find it!

This chapter is shorter than usual, mostly because it's not a very memorable episode for me, except for the fact that it's the one where the gang find that fourth Chaos Emerald (I bet you thought of Shadow when you read that :P ) I made a few major changes near the end, but the only one I will show here is E-57's rename. Its Japanese name is "Kuraken", but similarly to Guerra-Hard, it's probably a translating error, so I called it "Kraken".

Also, this chapter was originally going to be called Deep Sea Nemesis.

Thank you to **Keyblade132** for favoriting this story!

Thank you to **sonictj31** and **YveltalFan** for following this story!

Thank you to **Hero Of The Hazard** , **Gurahk** , **TopGun1986** , **CloudNine27** , and **annea101** for doing both!

With that being said, let's get on to reviews and what matters most: the story!

* * *

 _ **SuperTailsFan0812**_

 _YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSS! That was literally my reaction when I saw this chapter in my inbox. I was cheering and jumping up and down._

 _I love how Chris was comforting Tails and how the battle was compared with the original episode._

 _Thank you so much for shouting me out and it meant so much. I actually cried tears when I saw that._

 _My favourite part was when the gang was fighting the bad nicks and Chris assuring Tails and pretty much everything about this chapter._

 _Anyways, I loved this chapter and can't wait for the next chapter._

 _Every time a chapter from this story gets published, I get very very excited._

 _I also understand why you chose to omit episode 14._

 **I'm so glad you enjoyed that chapter as much as I did writing it! :D Here's the next chapter!**

 _ **GuardianDragon98**_

 _Man, this was full of heart-pounding thrills! I loved it. Nice tribute to Sonic's good ol' Uncle Chuck with the Power Ring idea. Don't worry, Sonic! I'm sure your Unk's mighty proud of you ;)_

 **I know it's probably unfair to mention the Power Rings without thinking of SatAM, and who created them in the first place. Indeed, Sonic's uncle would be proud of Sonic. :)**

 _ **D.J. Scales**_

 _This was a big upgrade to the original episode. Still if I know Eggman I get the feeling that the Egg Fort has to be much more durable than that. Regardless he is gonna need a safeguard and a way to dispatch his robots now that his tower is history not to mention a new fleet. Regardless the thought that went into this helps._

 **Even without his tower, Eggman still has his underground robot factory no one knows about. And I'm pretty sure he lacks all the materials he needs to create a new fleet from scratch. Even for a genius like this, he probably couldn't do it without alerting the entire nation.**

 _ **Animation Adventures**_

 _Welcome back from your hiatus!_

 _I remember this episode pretty clearly. Mostly because it was the first time after the attack on Eggman's island that the gang went out in public without needing to hide._

 _Not really a fan of Black Friday. Knowing all those horror stories about shopping that day, my family tries to stay home on that occasion._

 _Never thought about it before, but yeah, having Tanaka show up with the X-Tornado was kind of an easy way out. Also, Stewart randomly appearing like he did adds more fuel to my opinion that he's a creep._

 _Good idea adding more badniks to the attack. After losing his base, I imagine Eggman would be furious and would want to retaliate with more force than a new airship._

 _Tails, Amy, and Cream getting to do stuff was amazing. Especially Cream and Cheese, who wouldn't get a chance to be heroic until Emerl appeared. I also thought it was funny that Amy found Cheese in an arcade. Good taste, little chao, good taste. It also sprinkles in a little personality for him so he's not just Cream's best friend who mimics her every reaction and occasionally acts as her attack._

 _Nice touch about the Power Rings. I actually think it was stated that Chris's grandfather was given his name as a tribute to Sonic's Uncle Chuck._

 _I only have a minor complaint. At times, I felt the dialogue in this chapter was too formal, especially some of the dialogue from Chris. He sounded too formal for his age and personality. Perhaps read through the dialogue again, and maybe tweak some of it to be more casual? I know at one point Chris called Chuck by name instead of Grandpa, that would be an example._

 _Great job as usual. Looking forward to the vacation episode- it's another one I remember well._

 **I'm not the biggest Black Friday fan myself, but I am strangely interest in what happens in that day. It's humanity at its worst. XD But I remember one time where I was in Walmart on Black Friday, and hardly anyone was there. Go figure.**

 **Stewart really did seem like a creep in those episodes. Was there really no other way to make his motives more subtle?**

 **Of course Eggman needed more firepower than just a new ship. The Badniks really punctuate his revenge.**

 **I wanted Sonic's other friends to get in on the action too, because I didn't want Tails to pull off what he did (or didn't) do in Forces. Not helping Sonic fight Infinite? Cowering from Chaos 0 when he fought Chaos 4? Yeah, not happening here.**

 **I thought of the similarities myself, with both characters named Chuck. Here's a little something I had just come up with before the last chapter. In my rewritten canon I may want to write about, Sonic's Uncle Chuck had died at some point between SatAM and Forces. I amended the first chapter on AO3 with this nugget, and will soon update this version of the story with it as well.**

 **And thank you so much for telling me about the dialogue. I've already fixed it, but I've found Ella and Tanaka much harder to write than I thought. I'm also going back through all previous chapters and tidying them up as well.**

 **In case I didn't say this before, I'm thinking of omitting "Fast Friends" and "Little Chao Lost" for technical reasons - I'll explain when we get close to that time.**

 _ **HAVEABOY**_

 _HEY!_

 **HEY! WHAT'S UP?**

 _ **kitsune**_

 _nice like always !_

 **Thank you!**

 _All of **Guhrahk** 's reviews which are too many to repost_

 **I honestly wasn't expecting you to bingeread and review every chapter, but thank you anyway!**

 **While I love the IDW Sonic comics, I will admit that the characters could show just a _tad_ more emotion. I'm curious as to how the current arc will resolve itself, though.**

 **I am fully aware of all the hate Chris has, which is why I'm taking pains to make sure he is a good character. I'm also reading other people's good fanfictions with Chris to help as well. And Angry Birds and Candy Crush are oldies but goodies. If they made it into Sonic X, I would love to see the fanart people would make of it. :P**

 **There's just something about fans' characterization of Sonic that SEGA just can't do. I do admit I could write Sonic a little but better, but no one shows his protective and caring side quite like the fans do.**

 **Yes, I'm aware Knuckles was OOC at the end of Chapter 3, but I've already resolved it in the AO3 version of this story, and will eventually do the same in this version.**

 **Having Chris not know Danny, Frances, and Helen seemed like the right thing to do. Also, my brother laughed when I told him about Eggman's environmental friendliness. :P**

 **I never thought of Dark Sonic when writing Chapter 5. Now that you mention it, I should probably go back and reread it...**

 **You are going to absolutely love what I've done with the Chaos Saga. I'm still making plans for the Shadow Saga at the time.**

 **Matt is a surprisingly tricky character to work with. I created him to be a functional OC, not just a tagalong who does nothing. Even now I'm still trying to figure out the entirety of his story.**

 **In my canon, the Blue Typhoon was used in one of the battles in Forces, but was shot down (and eventually repaired), which explains them hijacking a rocket to get to the Death Egg.**

 **I love writing with Eggman, probably even more than Sonic and Chris.**

 **I know you're bummed about Episode 14 not being adapted. While I could write a story with Sonic and Helen, the whole reason they went on their unexpected adventure was because of Jerome's selfishness. "He's ruining my party!" Need I say more? The trip to the island of flowers is still canon, even if it's a passing reference.**

 **Thank you for taking the time to read through this 250k-word monstrosity, and here's the next chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 15 – The Monterey Excursion (Ep. 16)**

* * *

 **The _Seahawk_ – Mon December 20; 5:47 PM – Third-person POV**

The three weeks following the failed revenge attempt of Dr. Eggman was a tense time for the country.

No one knew whether the evil genius had survived or otherwise, since his flying fortress seemingly vanished without a trace. President Remerson had voiced the nation's concern that Eggman was still at large, and Congress approved of his request to organize a full-scale widespread manhunt for the doctor.

All five branches of the military, the FBI, the CIA, and GUN tirelessly searched the entire Pacific coast for any clue to his whereabouts, making sure no stone was left unturned. But no clues turned up. Not even a thorough investigation of the suspected crash zone yielded any results.

A GUN patrol under Captain Westwood was on one such mission. Westwood had taken the GUN ship _Seahawk_ to the edge of international waters, confident that no one else had swept over this area already.

"It's been almost a month now," Westwood grumbled as he peered out over the horizon. "You'd _think_ the guy would come up for air at some point."

"I don't like this," Topaz voiced her agreement. Turning to Rouge who was leaning on the wall behind her, she asked, "Rouge, is this normal behavior Eggman is exhibiting?"

Rouge furrowed her brow. "If you ask me, he does tend to lay low after a major defeat, sometimes for a few months at a time. I don't really keep tabs on him all that much, anyway."

"Guy really knows how to bide his time," Westwood said.

Rouge nodded slowly. "Ain't that the truth."

Topaz glanced at her watch. "Well… time to check in," she announced as she reached over and activated the frequency of Mission Control.

"HQ, this is _Seahawk_ with our routine check in," she spoke. "There is nothing to report after the fourth hour."

Topaz got an immediate response back. " _Copy that. Another two hours and you can head back._ "

"Affirmative."

After breaking contact, Topaz leaned back in her chair and stretched. "HQ says two more hours, then we can call it quits," she relayed.

Westwood sighed, still not moving from his spot. "He's _got_ to be out there somewhere."

Topaz rose to her feet and strode over to the coffee machine. She needed the caffeine to stay awake for the remainder of this time-consuming mission.

This was not Rouge's ideal mission. She vastly preferred anything that involved jewels, specifically the Chaos Emeralds. But she wouldn't balk; she knew an opportunity to find the Emeralds would arise soon.

"It's gotta be intact down there," she stated. "Otherwise, the doctor would have gone to Davy Jones' locker, as you humans put it."

"Good point…" mused Westwood.

"But what I don't understand is how Robotnik can survive down there for that long with a limited supply of air and food," Topaz said as she put the filter into the machine.

"Oh, believe me, hon, he'll find a way," Rouge said in a matter-of-fact manner. "He always does."

"I hate all this uncertainty," Westwood muttered as he finally left his post and wandered toward the others.

"I want answers just as much as you do, Captain," replied Topaz, "but we need to stay focused. Sooner or later, we'll find him, dead or alive."

* * *

 **The Egg Fort – Mon December 20; 8:06 PM – Third-person POV**

Dr. Eggman had been marooned aboard the Egg Fort beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean for nearly a month now. Fortunately for him, the ship was completely watertight, and held up fairly well against the elements.

Since the destruction of his original fortress a few months prior, the doctor had spent the better portion of his time salvaging what was left of its remains and hiding from the government's salvage team within his underground robot factory, which was left nearly completely intact. He had been concerned about radiation in the confines of the factory, but Decoe and Bocoe had confirmed that there was none. All he lost was three fourths of his existing robot army. He could always produce more.

Having escaped the fiery explosion by the skin of his teeth, the first thing he did was move into the Egg Fort. Just as he had announced over Station Square, it was indeed a ship that would have been the newest addition to the Egg Fleet had he not been transported here by those Mobian rebels.

The ship contained prisons, a prototype roboticizer he had been recently perfecting, and a primitive robot factory and hangar bays. He had brought everything he needed with him aboard the ship, which wasn't much. At least nothing important was left behind.

He could not have chosen a better day to strike – according to his later research, that was the day the humans called "Black Friday", where just about everyone took to the stores to bargain shop in advance for Christmas. Earth truly did have the strangest traditions.

In any case, everyone was taken completely off guard by his sudden return. It was quite a sight looking down at all the traffic jams he was inadvertently causing.

Things quickly went downhill despite his best efforts. He failed to capture the Thorndykes and the Mobians, and Sonic even had the nerve to lure him out to sea away from the city and shoot down his Egg Fort.

However… he had a vantage point no one had counted on.

The rebels had lured him so far out to sea to the point where land was barely visible before he went under. Additionally, he had taken further precautions in staying incognito by shutting off all power aboard the craft, except for the sub-radar auxiliary system that provided basic life support. In short, he could stay down there for a very long time.

Going dark forced him to become nocturnal. He slept during the day, and he, Decoe, Bocoe, and Bokkun had worked tirelessly on repairing the ship every night for the past month. However, he still wasn't ready to reactivate Orbot and Cubot; he still found them annoying, even if they had provided him years of assistance. Still, he wasn't going to dismantle them by any means in case something happened to Decoe and Bocoe.

Once Eggman eventually returned to the surface, he would swear revenge on everyone for real. He still couldn't get over the fact that his previous revenge attempt went so sour. How could he have lost so easily?

Eggman still had a long way to go with his repairs. At the very least, it would take him a couple more months. At the most, the repairs would take up to a year, and he couldn't wait that long to conquer the planet. There was no way it could fly in its current condition.

One night, Eggman was tinkering in the engine room, attempting to repair the heavily damaged engines. They had become waterlogged upon impact with the ocean floor, but the doctor had been able to painstakingly patch the holes.

"Doctor!" Decoe called, urgently running into the room. "A blip has appeared on the radar!"

This got Eggman's attention. He immediately sat up.

"They couldn't have found us," he said. "All the primary systems are shut off."

"We have not run an initial scan on the object yet, Doctor," Decoe reported as Eggman followed him out of the engine room and toward the elevator.

"So you're jumping to conclusions," Eggman assumed.

"Negative, Doctor," Decoe replied. "We concluded that we should inform you about this first before taking any actions." Eggman nodded in understanding.

The two stepped onto the elevator and rode it up to the bridge, which had previously taken quite a bit of damage from Sonic's ring-powered assault. The bridge was now decently repaired – an incredible feat given their current predicament. Then again, the engineering skills of a man with an IQ of 300 could accomplish many things.

Seconds later, they reached the bridge, where Bocoe was seated in one of the navigators' seats. Eggman turned to a large green wall at the back of the bridge. It served as both a touch screen and a greenscreen, and was much sturdier than it looked. The wall currently displayed a long-range radar. True to Decoe's words, a blip could be seen at least ten miles away from their location.

"Has any movement been observed from this object since its detection?" Eggman asked.

"Negative," Bocoe answered.

"How long have you noticed it there?" was Eggman's next question.

"It has remained undetected until we activated the radar for our routine scan," Decoe said.

Just then Eggman got a sudden stroke of genius.

"Run a scan for Chaos energy, just in case it is what I think it is."

"But Doctor, that would require activating the primary power supply," Decoe pointed out.

"I know it's risky," Eggman said, "but it's dark at the surface, which means we have a much lower risk of detection."

He walked over to a hidden panel in the ship's console. Flipping the panel upward, he pulled the master switch underneath it, and a low hum filled his ears as the ship's systems came to life. This was a good sign it could still function.

Next, he tapped a few buttons on the opposite side of the console, bringing up the Chaos energy scanner, which overlapped with the radar on the green wall. The area around the blip glowed in a psychedelic array of colors – the result was positive.

"It is indeed a Chaos Emerald!" he grinned.

The first thing he planned to do now was repair the bay doors and get them ready to deploy a suitable robot to pick up the Emerald. Since he had worked on the bay doors and hangar previously, they only needed touching up. The only tricky part would be deploying a robot underwater.

In any case, he would be in possession of the fourth Chaos Emerald, and he would return to the surface with a vengeance that burned akin to the Flames of Disaster.

* * *

 **Thorndyke Mansion - Dining room – Mon December 20; 6:42 PM – Chris' POV**

It was a few days before Christmas, and once again, we went all-out with decorations. The tree was fully decked out like usual, and everyone chipped in with hanging the garland. I especially enjoyed the touch that Cream and Cheese had.

Tonight, we were all finishing supper. Grandpa had to get up because he said he forgot something, which made me just as curious as everyone else about what it was.

A minute later, he reentered the dining room carrying several envelopes.

"Everyone, your passports and IDs have arrived today," he announced, though I knew he was talking about my friends and not me. "I forgot to pass them around earlier, but I guess now's as good a time as any."

A while back, my friends had to report to the DMV to have their pictures taken for special licenses the government would issue out at least two weeks later. The reason it took so long to get legal documents and identification cards for them was because the House and Senate were both debating whether to make the Mobians just like other humans or give them special privileges. At last they reached a compromise: while they still required documents, they could be given some amenities, which included not being required to have an education.

Having sorted the envelopes out, Grandpa passed them around to the four Mobians gathered around the table.

"You may go ahead and open them," he invited as he took his seat once more. "Inside are your passports and Social Security cards. As for you, Tails, you get several different kinds of licenses, including a pilot and mechanic's license."

I looked on as my friends opened their envelopes and studied their various documents, interested in how they would react.

"It still baffles me that I'm going to need all these just to operate my planes," remarked Tails as he sifted through his various documents. "I never needed anything like these back home."

"I know, Tails, but it is what it is," Grandpa said. "Part of the compromise stated you will need these. Even you, Sonic, although I'm sure you've probably been all over the globe by now," he added with a chuckle. "Make sure you memorize your Social Security numbers; you may end up needing them later."

Cream held up one of the licenses set before her. "Grandpa, what is this?" she asked.

Grandpa peered at the card in the small bunny's hand. "That certifies that Cheese is your pet."

Cream looked as if she was about to protest, until Grandpa raised his hand slightly.

"I know, Cream," he reassured. "I tried to explain it to them, but… frankly, I don't think they understood. I'm going to call them after supper and tell them again."

"Please do that," Cream pleaded. "Cheese is not a pet. He's my dear friend!"

"Chao chao-chao!" agreed Cheese.

"Try not to be upset," Grandpa softly spoke. "We all know that, but they don't."

The rest of supper went by pretty normally. Sonic was pretty chill about receiving his documents, much to my surprise. He was really adapting to this world faster than I thought was possible from someone like him.

"Now that you're free to legally go anywhere," I announced, "I think we should take a Christmas vacation."

"That's a great idea," Tails agreed. "Where does everyone want to go?"

"What about Monterey Bay?" suggested Amy. "I read they have a really nice beach and even an aquarium."

"I like that idea, Miss Amy," Cream agreed, having gotten over the license debacle. A vacation was well-earned, since we had spent a large portion of our time either hunting for Chaos Emeralds or battling Eggman. Plus, my friends had quite a taste in choosing vacation spots.

"Heading out like this will definitely give us an opportunity to see a little more of this country," Tails pointed out. "Maybe we should check out San Francisco while we're at it too."

"What about you, Sonic?" Amy asked.

From his seat to my right, Sonic pondered the request for a moment.

"Yeah, I'll come," he nodded, sounding almost… enthusiastic. "I may not be one for water, but I can tag along."

I almost swore he sideglanced me as he spoke. I hoped that me getting in danger would not be a common factor in every adventure we went on.

* * *

 **Thorndyke Mansion - Outside – Tue December 21; 11:34 AM – Chris' POV**

The next morning found us fastening our seat belts, prepared to depart for the sandy beaches of Monterey Bay. Sonic was seated on the wing – a precarious position, but I had grown used to seeing him perched there.

Tails was still in the driveway, going through final ground preparations; and Grandpa, Ella, and Mr. Tanaka were there to see us off.

"Now you take care of yourself and Chris out there," I heard Ella call over the roar of the engines.

"And be careful around other people," Grandpa added. "They still might not be used to you in their midst."

"You don't have to worry about us; we'll be careful," promised Tails as he spun his namesakes and lifted himself up to his seat at the controls. We waved goodbye before the kit pressed the button to close both canopies.

"Everyone secure?" he asked once he himself was buckled in. All of our replies were yes.

From the ground, Grandpa pressed a button on his remote that tilted the palm trees back, giving way for us to have a clear takeoff. As Tails mumbled to himself about the takeoff checklist, I couldn't help but feel excited for the trip as much as everyone else. We were finally going to have a real vacation!

It wasn't long before we were airborne. This trip was finally something other than fighting Eggman or hunting for Chaos Emeralds with sim success rates. It was a well-needed change of pace from our usual high-octane adventures.

"I estimate that it's going to take us about an hour to get there," Tails advised, "so just relax and enjoy the scenery."

That wasn't hard at all. I was engrossed by the scenery below us, even if it was going by in a flash. I didn't even need my phone to be mesmerized, but for the sake of it, I brought it anyway.

Speaking of phones, it was a good thing Sonic, Tails, and Amy had all gotten phones of their own. Now we could all stay in constant contact, no matter where our adventures would take us. Even Sonic didn't balk about his latest Samsung model, even though he had told me he might not use the apps on it all the time.

Over the next forty minutes, I absent-mindedly listened to Amy and Cream taking turns reading a tourism brochure about San Francisco and Monterey Bay from a time my family and I had been there before. Eventually, they too were gazing down at the scenery.

Eventually, I looked to my right, and began to recognize some familiar scenery along the coastline. I almost missed seeing it, though, as it had been a few years since I was last here, not to mention everything looked different from the air. I knew we were getting close to our destination.

"Tails?" I asked. "Are we flying over Monterey Bay?"

Tails glanced down at his radar screen.

"Yes, we are," he reported. "Good eye!"

"Did you hear that?" I asked Amy and Cream. The girls' awed silence was all the answer I needed.

"We made it!" Amy breathed in wonder.

"It's just like the book!" Cream added.

"Chao-chao chaaoo!" agreed Cheese.

"Hey guys, did you hear what kind of activities they have there?" Amy asked. Without waiting for an answer, she said, "They've got volleyball, waterskiing, and even scuba diving!"

Interesting… I had never gone waterskiing before, but I could hear Tails' voice in my head telling me there was a first time for everything. That must have been one of his catchphrases or something.

"Hey Chris…" Tails softly called. "The Chaos Emerald is glowing."

"Is it?" I asked in interest, and looked past the back of Tails seat to see that the Emerald was indeed glowing brighter than it usually did. In fact, its brightness was gradually increasing, which forced us to squint.

And then I knew why it was doing that.

"The only way it can glow like that is if there's another Chaos Emerald nearby, right?" I asked.

"Yeah…" Tails said. "That reminds me…" He raised his voice so Amy and Cream could hear too. "Guys, I'm picking up signs of a Chaos Emerald nearby, so we could run into some turbulence in a few."

"But why is there going to be turbulence if–"

Suddenly the plane shook hard, taking us all completely by surprise. The girls cried out, and I was forced to brace myself against both sides of the canopy to prevent myself from hitting my head. That didn't stop me from hitting my head on the back of Tails' seat, however. Fortunately, it didn't hurt very much.

"Hang tight!" Tails tried to assure us. "It should be over soon!"

I looked out over the ocean. "It's gotta be underwater somewhere," I called.

"You may be right," Tails commented. I could tell he was gripping the controls firmer than he usually did to keep us in the air. The turbulence was surprisingly strong, almost as strong as Tingalin Villa.

"See a place we can land, Tails?" asked Amy.

Tails visually scanned the ground to our right, then peered down at a particular spot.

"…Yes, I think I see a spot," the fox reported. "I'll take us down as quickly as I can."

As we descended, the turbulence gradually lessened, much to our relief. I was wondering how long I could hold on to my breakfast. Frankly, I didn't want to see it return. Tails was pretty nitpicky when it came to keeping his planes clean.

It took about two minutes for the turbulence to finally die down, and another one for us to land. Tails had chosen an inconspicuous area in an alley between two small buildings. While there weren't many people around, there were still a few of them milling about, but they steered clear of us as Tails converted the craft to X-Cyclone mode and touched down. They probably weren't expecting us to drop by today.

Tails opened the canopies and helped me and Amy to disembark. Sonic had leaped to the ground right before we landed, and Cream and Cheese were able to fly down on their own.

"Yo, Tails," Sonic called as I touched down. "What happened back there, buddy? The plane was shaking pretty bad."

"I think we accidentally detected another Chaos Emerald," Tails explained. "Judging by our position when the turbulence happened, it's probably under the ocean somewhere."

Sonic visibly shuddered. "The Emerald did all that?" he warily asked. Tails nodded.

"I think it has something to do with their unbridled power without the Master Emerald," he speculated.

"This will be our fourth Chaos Emerald!" Cream spoke. "Now there are only three more to find!"

To be honest, I did not at all expect to discover a Chaos Emerald on our vacation time. It was Murphy's Law, actually. We didn't find any Chaos Emeralds when we were actively searching for them, but guess what turned up when we let our guard down? When adventuring with Sonic, it seemed surprises awaited at every corner.

"If the Emerald's underwater, then it's not gonna be easy to get," Sonic stated.

Amy caught on to Sonic's tension and moved closer to him. "C'mon, Sonic, what are you afraid of?" she asked in a somewhat playful manner.

"Well, it's just…" Sonic sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "…it's underwater, and…"

"Well go with you and we can get it together," Tails suggested. "Nothing to it, right?"

Sonic was silent for a moment, and I felt concerned for him. I had to admit, he was doing a good job bottling up his fear, instead of outright panicking at the prospect of diving underwater. Then again, he was everyone's role model, and we all looked up to him as not only our hero, but he was like a big brother to all of us.

"Fine…" he said at last. "I'll do it."

With that, Tails flew back up to the X-Tornado to fetch his Chaos Emerald off the console. I too stepped closer to Sonic for support. I was there when he first arrived, and I saw firsthand that he couldn't swim. I wanted to be there for him too.

I smiled reassuringly at him. I wanted him to know that I had his back. He smiled back.

"Everyone stay close and keep a low profile," Sonic advised us as we started forward, "just in case we get a paparazzi following us."

"What's a… paparazzi?" Cream asked.

Tails cautiously looked around for any curious humans. "It's like a big crowd that follows famous people around. They usually take a lot of pictures, and they can get really annoying." It was true. In one case, someone had lost her life because of a drunk driver distracted by a paparazzi. The danger was all too real.

"...Remember what happened at the mall last month?" Tails continued. Cream shyly nodded. "That was a paparazzi."

We approached the boardwalk now, and I took note of Tails concealing the Chaos Emerald within his namesakes so it wouldn't interfere with any technology. I had asked my friends how they were able to do that, to which they replied "Hammerspace". It made no sense to me, and somehow cartoon characters managed to pull it off all the time.

But enough about that. I had a different question at the tip of my tongue.

"Tails?" I asked. "Do you ever have to worry about the Chaos Emeralds damaging your Miles Electric?"

"It almost _did_ happen when the two Emeralds we got from Eggman's base attempted to adapt with the one we have now," he replied. "I was able to get it out of the way just in time."

Our peaceful stroll was unfortunately short-lived, as several onlookers noticed us and inconspicuously took out their smartphones.

"Not again…" moaned Amy. One run-in with overeager humans was enough for her. She didn't need something like _this_ to ruin her day.

"Just ignore them if you can," I advised. It was honestly harder than it sounded.

"We need to get to the beach," Sonic quietly told us, "but don't run. Just act natural."

No one really approached us this time, which made this outing far more bearable than our trip to the mall. However, some teens and Millennials followed us to an extent. Cream huddled close to Amy, understandably nervous around the big crowds, while Sonic told the onlookers there was "nothing to see here" and "just a couple heroes passing through".

It took at least ten long minutes before the crowds were finally behind us. Sonic pointed out a vacant spot on the beach, a place where no one was around to stare at us. On the outside, my friends may have looked different, but on the inside, they were just like them, only with hearts of gold that many people unfortunately lacked.

"Is everyone okay?" I asked, breaking the silence.

Amy nodded slightly, still looking somewhat exasperated. Crossing her arms, she cast a glance back at the way we came.

"I didn't think we were _this_ famous back on Mobius," she said. "When will we ever get a chance to mingle with everyone normally and just relax?"

"You have to admit," Tails added, "it was a lot easier when we had to hide from Ella and Mr. Tanaka before the party."

"There are a lot of people," Cream voiced her concern, "but we can't blend in at all!"

"Yeah," Amy agreed, now starting to get riled up. "It was a lot better back home, where we had a different crowd we were used to!" Turning to me, she asked, "How do you stand it, Chris? How come people don't just flock around you if you're the son of celebrities?"

I shrugged. "I think Tails asked me the same thing when we were at the mall," I recalled. "I guess people are just used to me, or don't give me a second look. But now that you guys are here… well, it feels like I'm a lot more famous now." I honestly didn't know what to think about it. I mean, I didn't mind being famous, even if I was introverted, but being famous and the friend of aliens from another planet was something else entirely.

"Well, I don't think we can help it if we're famous or anything, and knowing this world's humans, they can't resist swarming celebrities, can they?" Sonic said. "It is what it is, I guess. I bet they'll be good and used to us in no time, am I right?" he added with a reassuring wink.

"I hope you're right…" Amy replied.

"It's not going to do us any good to just sit around and mope, you know," Tails stated. "We should probably come up with a way to get the Chaos Emerald."

"But I thought we were here to take a vacation," Amy commented, voicing my thoughts exactly. However, priorities came first.

"We are," Cream said. "But if we don't find it now, Dr. Eggman may come and take it later." Tails nodded his agreement.

"I know," Amy responded. "I just wasn't ready for this today is all."

"Tell you what," Sonic announced, being the voice of reason. "Think of it like an adventure in an adventure. We'll get the Emerald now, then we can reward ourselves with a vacation. Sound good?"

We all agreed with Sonic, especially me and Tails. His insight was always fascinating.

Tails looked out over the tranquil water. "Although, I don't have a clue how far out or how deep it is, and the X-Tornado is not made for underwater travel, so… I guess we need to come up with a way to deep dive for it."

"What about snorkeling?" Cream suggested, and Cheese made happy noises, most likely agreeing with her.

"That's a good idea, actually," agreed Amy. "Chris, do you know of a place around here that sells snorkeling gear?"

"Uh… Snorkeling isn't exactly for deep diving," I amended. "I think you'll probably want to bring scuba gear instead."

"And a boat," added Sonic.

"Have you ever gone scuba diving before, Chris?" Tails asked.

"Only one time," I said after a moment of thinking, "but that was a few years ago with Grandpa. What about you?"

"Amy and I went a couple times before, but this will be Cream's first time," Tails said.

"Is Cheese coming too?" I asked. I probably should have asked about Sonic in hindsight.

"You okay with leaving Cheese in the boat," Sonic asked Cream. She consulted the Chao floating beside her, before turning back to the rest of us.

"He'll be okay," Cream relayed. "He's feeling tired right now."

"It's all good," Sonic replied. "So… we just find a dive shop around here and get what we need, yeah?"

"I don't really know this area too well," I said, "but we can look."

"Lead the way, then!" Amy invited as we all prepared to leave the beach. The sooner we found a dive shop, the sooner we could find the Chaos Emerald, and the sooner we could relax.

* * *

 **Monterey Bay - Dive shop – Tue December 21; 12:34 PM – Chris' POV**

Surprisingly, it only took us fifteen minutes to find a diving shop. I did not know the layout of Monterey very well, and it was probably by sheer luck that Tails was able to point out a sign indicating the shop that quickly.

Sonic reached the door to the shop and opened it for the rest of us, the bells dangling from it chiming. Amy and Cream entered first, followed by Tails and me. Sonic and Cheese brought up the rear.

The interior of the shop contained all kinds of accessories and decorations, including a canoe hanging on the wall, and a floor-length mirror. A man with blond hair was working behind the counter. At the sound of the door's bell, he looked up.

"Hey! What can I help you guys with?" the man asked. A nametag he wore bore the name Steve. It was apparent to me that he was pleasantly surprised and even excited to see us in person.

Amy picked up a life jacket and held it up to the mirror, curious as to which human size would fit here. Tails and Sonic examined some of the scuba gear hanging on a rack, while Cream and Cheese aimlessly looked around the shop. There was so much to see in there.

I took it upon myself to walk up to the counter, rehearsing in my head what we would all need.

"Uh, I think we'll need a boat, five sets of scuba gear with air tanks and flippers… and goggles for me." I glanced back at the others. "Is that right?"

Everyone nodded their approval, and I turned back to Steve.

"Do the rest of you need goggles, or are you good?" Steve asked my friends.

"We're good," Tails answered for everyone. "Our anatomy allows us to be able to swim without needing goggles, so… yeah." Even so, I wondered how swimming goggles could even fit them, because their eyes were much larger than humans' eyes.

"Gotcha," nodded Steve. "I'll get everything ready for you guys."

Just then I realized one very important detail about this trip.

"Uh… how much is this gonna cost?" I mentally kicked myself for not thinking about this beforehand. It wasn't my fault anyway; I had no idea we were going to stumble upon a Chaos Emerald.

"It's all on me," Steve answered on his way toward the back of the shop. "You don't have to pay a thing."

…What? But… Weren't we supposed to…?

Tails, having seen my obvious confusion, approached me. "Did you forget about the government compromise?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, I forgot…" I recalled as it all came back to me.

Sonic overheard and walked over as well. "While we still need documents, which is kinda a bummer, Big Brother's gonna cover all our bills whenever you guys go shopping at small shops like this one."

"That's good," I said, sighing with relief on the inside. "I don't think I brought any money with me." With a deal like that, I knew Amy and Cream would easily get a kick out of it. They could practically shop to their hearts' content.

"All these life jackets are too big for me," Amy called to Steve. "Do you have them in our size?"

"No, sorry," Steve apologized. "Best I can do is the kids' section. You should be able to find your size there."

As Amy headed over to said section, something on the wall to the right of the counter caught my eye. It was a painting of a ship that appeared to match a similar-looking model ship that was on display on the counter.

There was a sheet of protected paper underneath the painting that said a little bit about the ship. It was known as the _Victoria's Bounty_ , named for Queen Victoria. It had gone down in a violent storm somewhere off the coast of San Jose in 1903. It was rumored to carry a weighty load of gold and precious jewels. People have attempted to find the wreck of the _Victoria's Bounty_ for decades, but without any success.

I wasn't much of a history buff, but this was strangely fascinating. It kind of reminded me of the Bermuda Triangle stories I had heard about from Grandpa. Not to mention there could be–

"What are you looking at, Chris?" came Amy's curious voice from behind my shoulder, snapping me from my trance.

"I think there's buried treasure out there…" I whispered as Amy scanned the information on the ship.

"Maybe someone will find it some day," she said with hope.

"It's been over a hundred years…" I added. "So far, no one's found it yet."

"Well, we're going diving today, so…" She smiled at me. "Who knows? Maybe we'll be lucky today."

I continued to stare at the picture, and read the information sheet once more. I told myself not to get too excited, but still, maybe it was possible… Perhaps we _could_ find the treasure if we also looked for the Emerald.

* * *

 **The Pacific Ocean – Tue December 21; 1:44 PM - Sonic's POV**

About an hour later, give or take, we were all aboard a boat we had rented and were headed out to sea. I had quickly gone back to the X-Tornado to grab the lunch we had packed, which we had just finished now.

Tails had driven the boat out to sea. He needed a boost to reach the human-sized controls, and Steve was kind enough to lend us a stool for him to stand on.

However, it took a bit of motivation from my friends to finally get me to put on my scuba gear. Not surprisingly, I was the last to slip on my wetsuit and mask. I couldn't remember the last time I had work scuba gear, if I did at all. I was never one for water.

By now all of us were in our diving suits, except for Amy, who volunteered to stay in the boat and monitor our air supply. As a precaution, Tails had also secured the Emerald we brought with us, so that it wouldn't potentially affect the boat.

"Take deep breaths, Sonic," Tails gently instructed me, having picked up on my nervousness. "Try to breathe slowly when you're underwater, all right?"

"I-I'll try," I said, trying to put a brave face on this situation. "It's just that I haven't been in the water since–"

Amy raised a finger, as if to tell me not to continue my thought in front of Chris. He didn't need to know yet.

"I know," she assured, "but it's for the Chaos Emerald. You know we need to get it if we want to go back home to Mobius."

Looking down at the water, I nervously rubbed my arm. "Yeah, you're right…" I admitted.

"Say that one more time for me, Sokikku~" Amy playfully said. I shrugged and tried to hide a smile that made its way onto my face anyway. Even though I wasn't _into_ her the way she always thought I was, Amy was still a really great friend.

"Is Sonic always like that…?" I could hear Chris quietly asking Tails. The fox shrugged, and Chris seemed a little unsatisfied with the answer. I knew that my brother knew the truth. He just didn't want to upset Chris about my past or anything.

I realized that I was probably letting my hydrophobia get the better of me. I was acting like a baby. And yet I was the oldest in our group. As Amy once told me when I was in a situation similar to this, I had to "act my age, not my shoe size". I was supposed to be everyone's role model. This was not how role models behaved.

Being the next to approach me, Chris asked, "I may have asked this before, Sonic, but how come you can't swim?"

I smiled wanly at Chris. "'Cause I sink lower than Eggman's chances of winning whenever I'm in the water," I explained. "I tried, and… well, I guess hedgehogs aren't made to swim. Well… this one, anyway."

"We can help you," promised Chris. "If you get in trouble, we'll help you back to the surface."

I really appreciated Chris. It felt like he had really grown close to me, and would do anything to make sure I was okay, just like I did for him.

"Sounds good," I said. "All right, let's dive."

"Take care!" Amy called as we approached the edge of the deck. Tails was the first one into the water, followed by Chris, then Cream. After taking a deep breath, I dove into the ocean as well.

As soon as we were all beneath the water's surface, Tails held the Chaos Emerald he brought out in front of him, both as a light source and a way to detect the other Chaos Emerald. He then began to move it back and forth to see where the Emerald shone the brightest.

While he was doing that, Chris stayed by me to make sure I wouldn't sink or anything. And so far I wasn't; at least, not very far.

"Deep breaths, Sonic," Chris gently told me.

I kept an eye on Cream to make sure she got the hang of using scuba gear, seeing as she had never worn it before.

"You doing okay, Cream?" I asked.

"Yes, Mr. Sonic," she replied, her voice filled with awe. "It's so beautiful down here!"

She was right – the scenery beneath the waves was absolutely stunning. While we were too far above the ocean floor to see any coral, there were colorful fish everywhere, and I told myself that I should probably appreciate the ocean more. I could do a pretty good job at that without ever having to set foot in the ocean.

"Okay, I think it's this way," Tails announced, indicating in a certain direction below us. "Stay close, guys."

As he led the way, we swam after him, and I looked around at the scenery. Chris continued to stick close to make sure I was okay, which I very much appreciated.

The deeper we dove, the higher the pressure became on us, and the darker and colder the water got. It was a good thing we brought the Emerald with us, so we could see where we were going.

"Try not to panic," Chris advised. "I don't think we're going to be in the water that long, I hope. We'll get the Emerald and be back in the boat soon, right?"

"Easier said than done, bud," I said, managing a smile.

I was starting to get a little impatient the further we traveled, but no way would I let it show in front of Chris. I was a role model, even if Chris was being strong for me. He really did learn from the best.

We didn't talk much during our journey, especially not Cream. She was awed at the various fish and aquatic life, as were the rest of us. Tails was sticking close to her, and making sure she was doing okay as we dove. She knew how to swim, but had never worn scuba gear before.

It took us about ten minutes of nonstop diving before we finally reached the ocean floor. By now it was way past dark around us, and Tails' Chaos Emerald was pretty much the only light source we had.

"How much longer?" wondered Chris.

"Hm… Not much longer now," Tails responded, glancing at the glowing green stone in his hand. "The Emerald's getting brighter, which means we're getting closer."

A few more minutes of diving later, we reached what I assumed to be a secluded alcove on the ocean floor.

"You getting anything, Tails?" I asked.

"It's glowing the brightest it's been since we came down here," reported Tails. "I think the Emerald might be in that alcove!"

"How cool would it be if we actually found the shipwreck while we were down here?" Chris excitedly said. Tails, Cream, and I were equally confused.

"…Say what now?" I asked.

Over the next minute, Amy filled us in via headset on something she and Chris had learned back at the dive shop. I had to admit, it was pretty fascinating to hear about a sunken ship and a mystery that was left unsolved to this day. "I wouldn't get my hopes up, but you never know," I told Chris.

As we approached the alcove, Tails had to move the Emerald to his side due to the intense glare it was creating. Just then its light illuminated a dark shape along the wall.

"I think we're getting close…!" Tails declared, sounding more excited. I peered at the object shrouded in the darkness of the ocean.

"Definitely looks like a galleon, no doubt…" I surmised.

"Is that the sunken ship?" Cream asked with hope.

"I don't think it could be anything else!" agreed Tails.

I could tell Chris was really excited; his beaming grin proved it. And why not? We had just discovered a long-lost sunken ship all by ourselves, and would inevitably make history without even trying.

I too was stoked on the inside. While there was an entire world beneath the sea that I preferred not to see in person for obvious reasons, the discovery of the Chaos Emerald made the whole trip worth it, and now there was a bonus thrown in there as well.

"Wait, you guys actually found it?" Amy exclaimed.

"Yeah, I think so!" Chris eagerly confirmed.

"I know you guys are excited about the treasure and all," I said, "but I think we should look for the Chaos Emerald first. _Then_ we can take a peek at the treasure, if it's still there."

"Sonic's right," Tails agreed. "I don't want this Emerald to wind up in Eggman's hands any more than the rest of you do."

"Careful of the wood," I warned as we neared the wreckage at last. "There could still be splinters." I didn't know how much danger splinters could pose to scuba gear, but I decided to caution everyone anyway.

"Also, some parts of the ship might be loose and could easily give way, so try not to touch the walls," added Tails as he waved the Emerald around slowly to pick up a stronger signal.

"Yeah, don't do that," I echoed. "Don't want anyone getting buried alive underwater, now do we?" I chuckled nervously. "Let's see if we can find a way in."

"There's one!" Chris pointed out. Sure enough, I could make out a hole in the wreck, probably torn by coral. I wasn't all too familiar with this world's history, but I was pretty sure they started to use metal ships a hundred years ago.

"All right," I began as we landed on the ocean floor, grateful to finally have ground beneath my feet. "We're gonna enter single file. Looks like it could be a little tight, though, so be careful."

Tails was the first to enter the wreck, followed by Cream, then Chris, and lastly me. There was a lot of coral and sea moss coating just about every surface within the wreck.

"Remember, we're here for the Emerald," Tails reminded us again, "but if we can find the treasure too, that would be great."

"Everyone stay together," I advised. "I don't want anyone getting lost in here."

Once we started moving again, Chris drew near to me. "How are you doing?" he asked.

I glanced around the wreck. "Don't worry about me, Chris. As much as I hate this, I just gotta keep telling myself I'm doing this for the Emerald."

My own words echoed through my head for the next six minutes as we carefully searched the galleon for any sign of the Chaos Emerald. Tails' own Emerald provided our only light source in the otherwise pitch black environment. Cream and even Chris were a bit nervous of the dark, but we promised that we were there for them, and that there was nothing to be afraid of.

Just then Cream broke away from our group. "Come quick! I think I found something!" she excitedly announced.

Tails immediately swam in the direction Cream's voice came from – which wasn't very fast because we were in the water. Chris and I followed suit.

"Did you find it?" Amy asked over our headsets.

"Cream thinks it's somewhere in the room we're in now," Tails reported. "Which means we'll be able to–"

He and Cream immediately gasped in wonder at the sight of what lay before them. There was treasure everywhere. Most of it was in the large metal box it was originally kept in, but some of it was spilling out. We were in the vault.

"Wow! There's so much gold and jewels in here!" exclaimed Cream.

"I wonder how much all this is worth?" Tails added.

"Good thing Rouge isn't here to see this…" I chuckled to myself.

All of us, particularly Chris and Cream, were awed at the sight of the priceless treasure overflowing from the box. It was a legend come true.

"Where is the Chaos Emerald?" Cream asked. "Is it underneath all this treasure?"

"It has to be," Tails guessed. "It looks like it's going to be really heavy, so… Here, Cream, why don't you hold this while we dig?"

He handed the Chaos Emerald to Cream, who accepted it and used it to aid us in digging through the treasure. There were so many riches to sift through – gold, silver, necklaces, jewelry; but the most valuable treasure of them all was the white Chaos Emerald and the brilliant glow it created.

Before long, I reached in and removed it from among the other treasures.

"You guys got it?" Amy asked over our headsets.

"Yup," I responded, handing it to Cream for her to look at. "That makes number four."

"Wait Sonic, I don't think that's a good–"

Tails was interrupted when both the Emeralds in Cream's hands suddenly glowed intensely bright. Then a massive beam of energy shot upwards through the ceiling of the ship.

In hindsight, I should have thought this through. And yet none of us even considered that this would happen.

Tails had told me about the effects of this light pillar, known as a Chaos Beacon. From his experience with it at Diamond Stadium, he was locked in place with the Emerald in his hand, and couldn't move at all until the beacon dissipated. This was how the Emeralds acclimated to each other.

Now, Cream was holding two Emeralds at once, witnessing their raw power as they adapted. I was scared for her, I really was. Two of the most powerful artifacts were going mondo haywire in her hands.

"Sonic, what's going o–?" Amy urgently asked, before interrupting herself. I think she had answered her own question.

"Chaos Beacon," was all I could muster as the beam continued to rise, showing no signs of stopping.

"I see it," Amy quietly said.

I could tell Tails and Chris were just as terrified as Cream was. Tails may have dealt with it at least once before recently, but Chris had never seen such an event up close before. In fact, I was pretty sure Cream may have been hyperventilating.

"They're just adapting!" I tried to reassure them. "Just give 'em a minute or two. It should be over soon."

It took about two minutes for the Chaos Beacon to finally die down. By this time, Cream looked on the verge of tears, overwhelmed at what had just happened.

"Are all of you okay?" Amy asked.

"Yeah," I replied as confidently as I could, even though the event had frightened Cream. "We're good."

I gently moved over to Cream, who was still terrified. Having a giant pillar of pure Chaos energy bursting out in front of you was pretty traumatizing.

"You're okay, Cream," I comforted. "We'll get back to the boat, and then we've got a well-earned vacation ahead of us, yeah?"

"Mhm," Cream said silently as I led the way out of the vault. But Chris spoke before I could leave.

"Wait, what about the treasure?"

I turned back to look at him. "We may have discovered the treasure ourselves, but it's probably best to let someone else know about it first. Otherwise, it would be stealing, you know?"

Chris stopped to think about it for a moment. It seemed to make sense to him, for he looked up and accepted the facts.

"You're right, Sonic," he said.

"You know, maybe they will recognize us for finding the treasure," added Tails. "It's not a total loss."

"I hope so," Chris said, trying not to sound disappointed.

"Everyone ready to head back?" I asked. "I know _I_ am."

With that, I carefully led everyone out of the wreck, hoping the whole time I knew where the boat was. Tails had offered to take the Emeralds back from Cream, who was nervous to hold them should they try to adapt again. So far, I had never seen the Emeralds attempting to readapt, at least not since we arrived on Earth.

Everyone stuck close to me to make sure I could swim all right. I really appreciated their consideration and kindness, especially Chris. The only hurdle for me to jump over was actually swimming to the surface.

"Um… What's that light over there?" Cream asked from behind me, and I turned to look in the direction she was gesturing at. "Is someone else diving?"

"I wish," Tails commented. "It looks like one of Eggman's robots… but…"

"Wait, did you say Eggman?" Amy questioned.

"It has to be," Tails said. "The design doesn't look human at all."

"Then that means Eggman must have survived your attack, Sonic," Amy said.

"But he couldn't have!" Chris exclaimed. "That was a month ago!"

"Believe me, he's been through worse," I said, immediately recalling some of Eggman's memorable downfalls, such as Perfect Chaos, the Time Eater, and even the Deadly Six. "Recognize this one, Tails?"

"Nope," the fox recalled after a second of thinking. "It's not in the log that I can recall."

I was just about to tell everyone else to head back to the boat when I caught a glimpse of a yellow television in one of the robot's tentacles. He had my attention; this task was normally given to Bokkun.

"Hold up," I told my friends. "Eggman's got something to say to us."

Once the robot got close to us, instead of attacking, it just stopped. It held the TV up to us for the four to see Bokkun's face on the screen. I was a little surprised that I could hear him speak underwater. Either it had something to do with the scuba gear we were wearing, or Eggman's TVs were just that good.

" _I know you can hear me,_ " Bokkun said, " _and this message is from the very much alive and well Dr. Eggman, directed to Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends. SO PAY ATTENTION, IDIOTS!_ "

I flinched at the shrill tone of Bokkun's scream. I'd have to say his mood swings were faster than Amy's, and that's saying a lot.

After a burst of static, the image changed to Eggman inside his relatively undamaged Egg Fort – and he was mondo upset.

"Long time no see, Egghead," I teased. "I see you got cable down here."

Eggman pretended I hadn't spoken, and got right to the point.

" _How_ dare _you take a vacation,_ " he growled. " _For the past month, I've been rotting on the ocean floor, one heartbeat away from Davy Jones' locker, and you have the_ nerve _to have fun while I'm_ stuck _here having anything but. Now I'm going to make you all pay for not observing equal rights._ "

I could have laughed. Thanks to his predicament, Eggman was way past irrational.

" _My E-57 Kraken here will retrieve the Chaos Emerald you pillaged from that shipwreck, but not before it sends you all to the bottom!_ "

"Since when was _that_ kind of equal rights a thing on Mobius?" I chuckled as the screen powered off. "There are rich people and poor people, winners and losers, and I think I know who today's winners are."

To my friends, I said, "You guys get back to the boat. I'll handle this."

"But Sonic, you can't swim!" Amy frantically told me. "And you've never tried fighting in scuba gear before!"

Now was not the time for me to think about being afraid of the ocean.

"That's beside the point," I stated firmly. "I can handle myself. You three, get back to the boat while you still have the chance!"

After a moment of hesitation, most likely in their concern for me, they began to swim the long trip back to the boat. Long for _me_ , that is; everything seemed farther away in the water. At least the Kraken didn't try to follow my friends. So Eggman did have _some_ respect…

I turned back to E-57 just as it was making its first move. It slammed one of its four massive tentacles into the ground right near me, barely missing the air tank on my back. I told myself that I had to think fast and act faster, especially since I was in dangerous territory.

I was glad that we were far enough away from the wreck so it wouldn't get… _wrecked_. There would be no telling what could happen to the treasure if the ship was destroyed by Eggman's robot. The evidence that would solve a hundred-year-old mystery would be gone. I was not about to let that happen.

As I continued to narrowly dodge the robot's attacks, I began to formulate a strategy. Perhaps I could get it to slam all of its tentacles into the ground at once. Then, while it was on cooldown, I could shear them off and take out the unprotected body.

This was easier said than done, however.

The Kraken did what I wanted, and slammed all four tentacles onto the ocean floor, which I barely avoided; that attack was quite unexpected. The impact kicked up a large dust cloud that started to blind me, and the motion forced me upward toward the surface which seemed so far away.

Unfortunately for Eggman, I saw through E-57's strategy and was easily able to force myself back down toward the ocean floor. Sometimes, not being able to swim had its advantages, few they may be.

Reaching down, I took hold of one of its tentacles and pulled with all my might until it snapped clean off the robot's body. My alternative was to swing the robot around and throw it, but I didn't have a lot of momentum down there (plus it felt like more of Knuckles' thing), which was also why I opted not to use spin attacks.

Now that the Kraken was down to only three tentacles, it became enraged, if non-sentient robots could express emotions. It immediately reacted by firing several torpedoes at me. With some difficulty on account of my reduced momentum, I vaulted myself backwards and out of their path. The resulting explosions churned up the ocean floor even more, but at least they didn't hit home. E-57 was really putting up a fight today.

Then I realized, the missiles were only a distraction! While I was busy trying to see my enemy through the cloud it caused, the Kraken was beginning its ascent toward the surface – and the boat. I knew exactly what it was after.

With great difficulty, I ran after the Kraken as fast as I could… which, as you probably guessed, was not that fast since I was still in the water. I pushed myself off the ground as hard as I could and flew up toward the Kraken, hoping I could at least grab on to one of its tentacles.

I was able to take hold of one of the robot's dangling limbs, but just barely. It was all I needed to keep up with it. However, E-57 had a change of plans, which, in a way, was lowkey what I was hoping for… or not.

E-57 aimed another one of its tentacles directly at me, and activated a powerful suction that firmly attached me to it as we continued upward. That was probably a bad idea, what I just did… While I was good at coming up with strategies on the fly, I could see why Sally always thought I was reckless.

We _finally_ broke the surface, and to both my relief and dismay, I saw that the boat was way off in the distance. Good thing they heeded my warning when they did.

The tentacle that was securing me unleashed a jet of water that lifted me high into the air, and a second tentacle activated a second water jet that held me in place, effectively trapping me in place. Now things were awash. I had to escape somehow.

However, E-57 sure wasn't making it easy to do so no matter how hard I tried. Not to mention it was on the move, skimming along the ocean's surface toward the shore at a decent clip.

As much as I didn't want to show it, I was pretty scared, both for myself and for my friends. I had no idea if Tails could get to the X-Tornado in time. But I realized that I could use forced hitchhiking to my advantage. I could ride it to shore quickly, and get to dry land at last. The only hiccup would be getting loose from the water jets.

However, something happened that took me by surprise, something I wasn't counting on in both a good and bad way.

E-57 began to gradually lose speed, probably because of the damage I did to it earlier. It quickly atoned for this automotive failure by activating a rocket jet and lifting itself out of the water. Now it flew toward land, much faster than it had been previously traveling. I was still in tow, much to my dismay. I tried not to panic; I hated water with every fiber of my being, but this was the fastest way to get back to good old solid ground.

My only hope of escape was my friends and the X-Tornado. I kid you not when I say I was completely helpless. I couldn't even roll over in the water jet. At least E-57 hadn't ditched me thus far. I would be in real trouble then.

At last the shore came into view, just as a faint sound began to fill the air. The water jets were loud, but I could make out the distinct whine of the X-Tornado's engines. Help had arrived at last.

Now that I had backup, I tried my hardest to break free from the relentless water jets. No matter how hard I tried, there was still no escaping this hydro horror.

Apparently I didn't need to worry about a thing, for the Kraken decided to ditch me right before we reached the shore.

…Okay, there were still a couple things to worry about, like how I was supposed to get back to land after I fell into the water. The moment I went under, I automatically began to panic. At least no one was around to see how silly I looked when I touched bottom a few seconds later.

I was able to painstakingly push myself upward to the surface and make my way onto the beach, but I was forced to duck under a couple falling tentacles, sheared clean off by the X-Tornado's laser. E-57 was occupied for the time being.

In a stroke of luck, I spotted the boat parked not far from where I was, and ran toward it. I wasn't as fast as I wanted to be provided I was wearing scuba gear, not to mention I looked way past awkward. Ever see a supersonic hedgehog running in flippers?

Once I reached the boat, which was secured at the dock (my friends were pretty fast in getting here), I clumsily boarded it, and quickly discarded my gear next to the other sets of gear. Taking in a lungful of fresh air, I stretched my legs, feeling freedom from having been underwater. This was more like it. I could fight more efficiently now.

I glanced up to see the completely airborne E-57 fighting against the X-Tornado with a barrage of missiles. Seeing it with only one tentacle was pretty weird. But since it was busy with Tails, now was my time to act.

I waited a moment for the Kraken to hover over land, then bolted toward it. Leaping high into the air, I executed a perfect home attack, burrowing through the heart of the robot. After I landed on the boardwalk, I looked back to watch the robot just beginning to explode. I know, cool guys walk away from explosions, but _way past cool_ ones are a different story.

Now that the danger was over, I stood there and watched the X-Tornado land in X-Cyclone mode on the beach not far from me. Cream, Amy, and Chris ran over, and I too walked toward the plane as Tails opened his canopy and flew down. We met in the middle about a minute later.

"You look shaken up, Sonic," Tails pointed out. It was true; my adrenalin was wearing off, and it was apparently showing.

"Don't sweat it, buddy," I dismissed. "Just… haven't had an underwater fight in forever is all." I had been hoping I wouldn't have to have one here, but it was over at last. "…You know the Kraken was chasing you guys earlier?"

"I figured it would," Tails said. "That's why I was ushering us to shore as fast as I could."

I noted that Amy, Cream, Cheese, and Chris hadn't gone with Tails in the X-Tornado. That was a good thing for two reasons: one, because we were on a mondo time crunch; and two, because Chris didn't like being in air battles. Good to know Tails put his friends first. He really did learn from the best.

"Now that we have the Emerald," Chris said, "I think we should return the scuba gear and boat."

"We also need to tell Steve about the treasure," added Amy.

"Yeah, let's do that," I agreed. "Now that we got the Emerald, we totally earned our vacay time, am I right?"

* * *

 **Monterey Bay - Dive shop – Tue December 21; 3:01 PM – Chris' POV**

"So, you guys find what you're looking for?"

The five of us were back in the dive shop once again. It wasn't as hard to locate this time, because we had been here before. We had left the scuba gear in the boat at the dock for Steve to pick up.

"We sure did!" Amy beamed, showing Steve the Chaos Emerald we had found. "And _then_ some!"

Steve cocked his head slightly. "What do you mean?"

Sonic gently ushered me forward, which to me meant they thought I should be the one to break the news. I cleared my throat.

"Uh… We found the ship… The one in the painting…"

"What… really?!" Steve was astonished. "You guys really found it? People have been trying to find that ship on and off for decades! How did you of all people manage to find it?"

"Um…" Tails shyly rubbed the back of his head. "We used a Chaos Emerald… Do you know about them?"

"Kinda, yeah?" Steve shrugged.

"Well, this Emerald was reacting to the one that was in the wreck with the treasure, so… that made the search a lot easier."

"You know, I've been searching for the _Victoria's Bounty_ myself," Steme reminisced. "I don't know how I couldn't find it anywhere when all the reports and newspapers pointed to it sinking off the coast of San Jose. In fact, let me tell you something. The captain of the _Bounty_ was my great-great-grandfather Robert Hamish."

What a coincidence.

"He was the captain when the ship sank in a violent storm," Steve continued. "They were never able to salvage the treasure, but Hamish and his crew escaped in the lifeboats and eventually they washed ashore. No one drowned."

After a moment of awed silence, he asked, "How far out did you have to go?"

"Further out than I thought," I said.

"About eleven miles," Tails amended. "Also, if it helps, we found the ship partially underneath a ledge on the ocean floor."

"Fascinating…" breathed Steve. "From what I heard, the divers had done scans of the ocean floor all along the immediate coastline. But thanks to you guys, my great-great-grandfather's legacy is going to be upheld!"

I couldn't help but feel a feeling of pride and accomplishment swell within me. Looking around at my friends, I saw that the feeling was mutual. Not only did we solve a century-old mystery practically on a whim, but today had been a great day overall. I had a lot of fun, even though we discovered that Eggman was alive. In spite of the fight with one of his robots, I never really felt like I was in much danger at all. Granted, today felt like a _real_ adventure.

* * *

 **A/N:** And that's "Depths of Danger"! I made considerable changes to this episode, the most prominent being Chris helping Sonic to travel underwater, and removing Tanaka and Sam Speed from the episode, as those two characters felt out of place in every way imaginable. In fact, I'm surprised Chris didn't suspect Tanaka and Sam of stalking him.

Instead of a generic name such as "Grand Blue Sapphire Sea", it's now Monterey Bay. Shoutout to all Sonic fans in that area! Let me know if he speeds your way!

I fleshed out the scenes in the dive shop, and decided to keep Amy in the boat this time, as someone had to monitor the air supply. I don't know if that's how scuba gear works, as I've never gone scuba diving before myself, but this is a fanfiction, after all.

The epilogue now takes place at the dive shop rather than on Tanaka's nonexistent boat. And the battle is now about Sonic, not about Chris or Sam Speed.

I'm not going to do the crazy list of changes like I did in previous chapters, as it seems unprofessional.

I'm going to post this note about the next chapter early. It's going to be a bit different than other chapters, and not just because Sonic and Chris don't appear. It may be a bit darker, and explore a theme I didn't think I would, and that theme is...

Gang activity.

Also, as a result of Sonic and Chris not appearing, all scenes will be written in third-person, which means no POV indicators. I plan to do the same thing with "A Revolutionary Tale" and another upcoming chapter.

Next up is "The Adventures of Knuckles and Hawk", where Knuckles meets a new friend overseas and uncovers the fifth Chaos Emerald! Don't miss it!


	16. Journey to the East

**A/N:** ...Wow. The world turned on its head since the last chapter. Now we're all home, which means more time to write fanfiction, browse Reddit, and play Fortnite! Hey, two out of three ain't bad. :P

It's a shame that the virus has put a halt to the IDW comics, but I'm going to use that time to read through the Archie Sonic comics if I can.

Turns out, there's an upside to quarantine.

I was finally, _finally_ able to see the Sonic movie, and I can tell you, it did NOT disappoint. It had everything - the action, the quirky lines, the friendship, all of it. Sonic was spot on, even if his character was a little different than I'm used to. I didn't think I would see a sonic TV show or movie top SatAM's quality.

I can't wait for the sequel! I predict it will head to theaters in 2023 at the earliest. In fact, I waited to post this chapter just to tell you all about my thoughts on the movie. No wonder it felt overdue...

Also, I have some more good news. Remember when I said Small Insect's "Chaos Mythologies" was deleted last chapter? Well, I found the whole thing completely intact on the Wayback Machine! It contains the complete first story, as well as the first several chapters of its abandoned sequel. I'd link it, but... the site doesn't support or recommend linking to other sites.

I realized a really weird coincidence. Some of you might have seen the poster for the upcoming Cruella movie slated for next year. But take a look at the man on the left. He looks _exactly_ like Hawk, right down to the outfit.

Now, on to chapter notes. As this chapter is written entirely in third-person POV, there will not be any POV indicators. Locations, dates, and times will still be used. Also, there will be a **warning** for semi-realistic gang descriptions and activity.

Furthermore, I named the chapter Journey to the East after both the Chinese folklore Journey to the West, as well as the Sonic Universe comic arc. Lastly, I am keeping the Japanese name Kunoichi for E-91, as the name Lady Ninja only waters it down.

There will be a slight change to my favorite/follow credits. I will underline those who favorited, and _italicize_ those who followed.

Without further ado, I would like to thank _tomer3392_ , gatorgirl123, Primus1661, _NightSunDreamer_ , _LordDeadwing_ , _raphlover2012_ , _GDF795_ , _Space Marine Productions_ , _jr1550434_ , _TheGoodPirate_ , smp2000, _Angeloflight324_ , _Mermaid's Magic_ , and _StarInTheCosmos_ for showing their support to my story!

Without further ado, let's move on to the reviews and what matters most: the story!

* * *

 ** _GuardianDragon98_  
**

 _Looking forward to the next chapter. Finally, a Knuckles-centric entry!_

 **Here you go! :D**

 _ **SuperTailsFan0812  
**_

 _YEEEEEEEEES! YEES! YEES! This was the reaction I had when I saw this chapter being uploaded. I was getting very excited and giddy as I read through the chapter. This chapter made me feel so much better. If you read my latest chapter, I stated that I've been unwell._

 _Thank you so mentioning me again. It really means so much_

 _I loved at the start where Chuck had given Sonic and his friends the IDs and documents and how everyone reacts to them._

 _I think that the scene when the X-Tornado is about to take off is very good. It was nice and long._

 _I loved the part when everyone chats about the trip to Monterey Bay. I didn't know what it was, so I had to look it up and it looks like a beautiful place._

 _I thought that that the scene after the gang landed and Sonic asked Tails why the plane was shaking was well detailed and I loved it so much._

 _I love the scene when the gang gets the diving equipment and aslo the part when Chris was staying by Sonic to make sure he is okay._

 _I loved the scene when they found the sunken ship and it would've been scary to experience the part when the emeralds were adapting._

 _Finally, I loved the battle and the ending of this chapter. I thought that Tails helping Sonic was so good._

 _I could talk about this chapter all day, but I don't want to make this review too long and I think this may be my longest review yet._

 _I enjoyed this chapter so much and I will see you in chapter 16 (AKA, episode 17)_

 **I'm so glad you enjoyed this chapter! And yes, this is indeed your longest review yet! I love long reviews.**

 **I needed to write in Sonic's POV because I think those scenes called for it. As much as I like writing in Chris' POV, I'm trying to avoid making this story entirely Chris-centric.**

 _ **SwanGirl24**_

 _I have two Sonic the hedgehog stories I think you'll really like. Read them and tell me what you think, please._

 **I sent you a PM with my thoughts as soon as I got this review.**

 _ **Gurahk**_

 _A fun filler-ish episode, but its funny you mention Christmas as if a special was coming. And while I don't ship SonAmy hard... don't fool us, Sonic. We know you like her. I like how some of the ridiculous comic relief stuff is taken out and the characters play more a part than just being there. Overall still good and glad to hear the love of fan input. Can't wait to read Sonic X & Knuckles next time!_

 **Yeah, a lot of the jokes in Sonic X were just silly, especially the English version. But I do keep a decent level of comedy, because we can't always be doom and gloom, now can we?**

 **Anyway, here's your Sonic X & Knuckles! :)**

 ** _foxchick1_**

 _Excited to see what happens next._

 **Wait no longer!**

 ** _D.J. Scales_**

 _That right there was decent. It works but I didnt exoect an under water robot. Still the chapter was okay._

 **There was an underwater robot in the original episode. I gave it the ability to fly through the air as a faster means of travel.**

 _ **Animation Adventures  
**_

 _That was fun. Nothing like a beach vacation for Christmas. To top it off, they found another Chaos Emerald. How's that for a Christmas present?_

 _Looking back, I really should've questioned appearances by Tanaka and Sam. Chris would've definitely been right to question if they were stalking him. I mean, Stewart was stalking him and his friends already, but somehow didn't pick up on that. Two more people stalking him? An intervention is needed by then._

 _For what it's worth, I enjoyed the lists of what was changed because it helped me see what canon had compared to your project. After all, the changes you make are logical from a writing standpoint._

 _I remember the Knuckles and Hawk episode. It was our favorite echidna's first solo adventure. I also remember it because Shovel Claws! Looking forward to seeing how you upped the danger._

 **You can bet I upped the danger! I think you'll really enjoy this chapter.**

 _ **SkyBlue27** (2 reviews)_

 _This is amazing. Great chapter! [I changed my name from CloudNine27 to SkyBlue27, btw]_

 **Thank you!**

 _ **gregorian12**_

 _Good chap!_

 _I honestly can't wait to see what you have plans for that ep (I have one favor to ask, keep the name of E-91 Lady Ninja) I imagine Eggman stating he needed an assassin and based her fighting ability on Espio (Ninja style fighting) and Rouge (Stealth)._

 **That is quite interesting, now that I think about it. However, I'm going to keep the name Kunoichi, because Lady Ninja just goes to water down Japanese culture.**

 ** _The Humble_**

 _Great story! my main advice is do not use any characters from sonic boom since sonic team did not make it and just supervised the staff of sonic boom which means that characters like sticks are non canon since they were not made by sonic team. just choose canon characters from the classic and modern games like heavy and bomb from knuckles chaotix on 32x or any characters that appeared only in tails skypatrol and tails adventure for game gear or master robots from sonic 2 8 bit and chaos and triple trouble. other than that great story! keep it up!_

 **In my headcanon universe, which isn't far off from the game canon, the only Sonic Boom character who is part of that universe is Sticks. Even then, she will not appear in this story.**

 **I'll probably need to refresh my memory on who Heavy and Bomb are. They haven't been seen since the Classic Sonic era.**

 ** _Guest_**

 _Sonic X is one of my favorite Sonic shows - the only reason it's not number one is because I didn't feel like there was enough of Sonic and Tails' brotherly bond. When I saw you write Sonic calling Tails his little brother, it made my day! I hope to see more of their relationship in this series - maybe Tails telling Chris how Sonic adopted him and all that_

 **It's true, there weren't too many Sonic and Tails moments outside the Chaos Saga. But don't worry; I'll try to fit some more in there wherever possible.**

 _ **The Green Seer**_ _(5 reviews)_

 _The reviews are quite lengthy and will not be copied here._

 **Welcome back! So far, I haven't lost inspiration; in fact, watching the movie has further bolsters my drive!**

 **Did I really accidentally call Eggman "her" in chapter 12? XD Eggette confirmed!**

 **I knew there should be consequences in the story, which is why I added injuries to chapter 13; it would be somewhat unrealistic without them. But I always make up for them with heartwarming scenes.**

 **Indeed. Chris needs a break from all that danger.**

 **Now that you mention it, that flashback with Eggman was unnecessary. Animation Adventures had said the same thing. It is not relevant to the plot, and probably went on for too long. I'll edit that in the not-too-distant future.**

 **I couldn't rewrite the Helen episode because I couldn't make it work. The only part I could salvage is Sonic taking Helen to the lake, but even if I did write that, it would be entirely filler.**

 **I think you meant "Flames of Disaster", but that's a minor point. Also, Sonic does know Elise from my headcanon in-game universe, but not for the adventure they had in '06. Perhaps he visited Soleanna for the festival, but there wasn't any Iblis or Mephiles to deal with.**

 **I was hinting at Sonic Forces, but now that you mentioned the Labyrinth Zone, that sounds equally plausible. I have plans for a Sonic Genesis story, and you've just supplied me with an idea for that.**

 **And no, the Topaz and Rouge scene was not there in the original episode. Instead, it was just the President telling the military to find Eggman, then lamenting his lack of vacation time (in the Japanese version).**

 **Anyway, here is The Adventures of Knuckles and Hawk! Cringey title, by the way; there's a reason I change the episode names for this story.**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: The warranty for 2020 has expired. It is non-refundable, and may involve echidnas, ninjas, emeralds, and other elements that may plague your town.  
_

* * *

 **Journey to the East**

* * *

 **Hong Kong – Tue November 30; 10:44 PM**

About three weeks prior to Sonic and his friends discovering the fourth Chaos Emerald, Knuckles was embarking on a search of his own. His journey had taken him to Hong Kong. The echidna glanced around at the historic architecture; this district was not as built-up as the rest of the city, and it seemed the locals there preferred it that way.

Shortly after the destruction of Dr. Eggman's base, Knuckles had picked up rumors from overseas. A Chaos Emerald was reportedly sighted in the vicinity of Hong Kong. While it was inconvenient that it was located all the way across the Pacific Ocean, Knuckles had told himself that it was one step closer to returning to Angel Island. The reports further claimed that the Emerald vanished, but Knuckles believed otherwise.

He reached China by air, since he was able to quickly acquire a passport. From what he heard, this was a temporary passport until the government issued a series of special-edition passports, which Sonic and his friends would receive as well. Sure, he could smuggle himself on a ship like he did the fighter jet to get to Eggman's base, but it would be too slow, not to mention illegal. Besides, he could take advantage of his new-found freedom of exposure to the public by taking a plane.

Upon arrival, he had wandered the city for days with no sign of the Chaos Emerald anywhere. Not even his senses could aid him this time. It was almost as if there wasn't any Emerald in Hong Kong at all. And yet he knew deep down the rumors were not lying…

His travels had taken him to a plain outside the city, where he once again used his hunting senses to no avail. This Emerald was tricky to find, not because of its elusiveness, but because he was in a faraway land he had never travelled through before. He missed the Master Emerald. He missed when things were simple instead of hopelessly complicated.

However, Knuckles' excursion was not in vain.

A distant voice filled his ears. Straining to listen, he could make out a cry for help. Knuckles was not one to refuse such a plea, so he raced toward the source of the voice as fast as he could.

He came to a small, ancient temple, where the voice again called for help from within. Fortunately, there was an entrance within the stone ruins, so Knuckles ran inside, peering through the darkness to see if he could find whoever required assistance.

And then he saw it – a man was trapped between two large stone walls that were slowly closing in on each other, threatening to crush him. Wasting no time, Knuckles bolted forward, effortlessly punched a hole through the back wall, grabbed the man's hand, and wordlessly leapt through the hole before the walls slid together with mere seconds to spare.

Knuckles sized the man up – he was slightly overweight for an Oriental man, and had a bowl haircut. The man turned to Knuckles, still shaken up from his near-death experience.

"Th-thank you…" he spoke in excellent English.

"It's what I do," Knuckles responded, nodding curtly. "What were you doing in there, anyway?"

The man appeared to hesitate for a moment. "I was… searching for treasure."

Knuckles cocked a brow. "You a treasure hunter?"

"Y-yes," the man stammered. "They told me there was supposed to be treasure inside this temple, but it was rigged." He gave Knuckles a once-over. "Are you one of the aliens from… what's the name of your planet…?"

"Mobius," answered Knuckles. "And yes, I am. By the way, I'm Knuckles."

"M-my name… is Hawk," the man introduced himself, and Knuckles wondered why he was all jittery. "Are you a treasure hunter too?"

"You could say that," Knuckles replied with a shrug. "I'm looking for something called a Chaos Emerald. Do you know anything about it?"

That was the statement that opened the floodgates. Knuckles began to wonder if he had been too probing, for Hawk started to show signs of fear; not of Knuckles, but of something else. The echidna wanted to know what that "something" was.

"What is it?" Knuckles asked, before his face softened and he moved closer to Hawk. "Look, I;'m not going to hurt you. You can trust me."

Hawk looked Knuckles dead in the eye. "Please… do not tell anyone what I am about to tell you."

Knuckles was confused, until Hawk began to gingerly and hesitantly roll up his left sleeve. Printed on the outside of his upper left arm was a dragon tattoo. This only added to the echidna's confusion.

"A tattoo…?"

"It's…" Hawk hesitated again. "It's the mark of… an underground gang known as the Jùlèbù."

"The… what?"

"The Jùlèbù…" repeated Hawk. "Their name translates to 'club'…" He spoke haltingly, as if he didn't know if he should even be sharing this information with Knuckles. "They… they kidnapped me and forced me to join them… They wanted me to join because my brother was one of them… I was too scared to say no…" He gulped. "They send me on errands to take jewels and sell them on the black market for large amounts of money… They make me do this in exchange for food and my safety…"

Knuckles stood there, silently taking in what this shaken-up man was telling him. He was quite bold to tell him, a complete stranger, that his life was in danger.

"Sounds pretty traumatic," Knuckles whispered. "It's like you're a slave to them."

"And…" Hawk began to sweat. "And they don't want me to talk to anyone either! They'll kill me if they find out!" He started to break into a run, afraid that Knuckles would snitch on him.

"Wait!" Knuckles called before following after him. "I want to help you!"

To the echidna's relief, Hawk stopped and turned to Knuckles, who was determined to help this man.

"I want to help you," repeated Knuckles. "I too am looking for the Chaos Emerald. But first…" He took a deep breath. "I'm gonna do everything in my power to free you from that gang."

Hawk looked genuinely astonished. "You… you would do that?"

"Yes," Knuckles vowed. He could not sound more serious about this dedication. "You're a good guy; you don't deserve this treatment."

Hawk, was now overcome with emotion and gratitude. "Th-thank you, Knuckles!" Then realization spread across his face. "But… if they find out, they'll kill you too!"

"As if," Knuckles bragged, flexing his muscles. "I promise, we'll meet again some day."

"So… you work alone too?" Hawk asked, to which Knuckles nodded. "I will try to keep in touch. My branch of the Jùlèbù works in Hong Kong. It should not be very hard to find me."

"I'll be in the area looking for clues," replied Knuckles.

That was two months ago. The low rumble of jet engines roused Knuckles from his thoughts, and the echidna looked up to see a low-flying cargo jet above him. It was downright strange, seeing a unique blend of things past and present in the same place. He had to wonder how the residents tolerated having planes flying that low all the time here.

Last week, he finally heard back from Hawk through a letter. His new friend said he had information on the Chaos Emerald, and to come to Fwan's bar on Tuesday. Today was that day.

Now, Knuckles was trying to find his way there. He had to endure stares from various locals, several of which were on their smartphones. Even in a suburb as remote as this one, he was popular. While he was mildly surprised people weren't outright flocking to see him, his secrecy was for the better. Whatever the case, he just told himself to grin and bear it.

No matter who he asked for directions, the people he spoke to either didn't know where it was, or didn't speak English. After fifteen minutes of this, Knuckles was starting to get frustrated.

At last, he found an English-speaking local who agreed to take him to Fwan's bar, but at the cost of unwanted attention. The local kept throwing glances at Knuckles… just because he was different. All the attention the echidna was receiving made him wish even more that he was back home on Mobius, where he at least fit in.

The stranger led him through at least half a dozen run-down streets and alleys before he stopped in front of a dated building, which blended in with all the other buildings. Knuckles would have missed it if it weren't plainly marked with Fwan's name on the front entrance.

Knuckles nodded his thanks to the local and stepped inside the bar, finally free of the attention…

…or so he thought.

He had more attention than he had before. All dozen or so pairs of eyes were fixed on him. Clearly they had never seen an other-worldly anthropomorph before.

A hushed silence filled the room, and everyone couldn't help but stare at the echidna as he walked slowly across the wooden floor toward the man on the other side of the counter.

"Are you Fwan?" he asked gruffly.

The man known as Fwan nodded. So he understood some English at least. However, he too could not bring himself to stop staring.

"Hey, is there something on my face?" Knuckles said. "'Cause I didn't exactly come here just for kicks, you know."

"My apologies," Fwan spoke in a heavily accented voice. "You are a very… unique customer."

"Never mind that," Knuckles dismissed. "I was told there was someone by the name of Hawk here."

"There is no one here by that name," Fwan stated, his gaze not leaving Knuckles. It was a dead end, but Knuckles was not one to give up easily.

"Does he come here often?" he pressed.

"Oy!"

Knuckles turned to see who suddenly shouted from the doorway. He saw three strong men standing there, and from the looks of it, they were not friendly.

"A country has its own rules, a city has its own rules, and a bar has its own rules," one of the men spoke. "And the rules around here don't take too kindly to loiterers. Search for your man elsewhere!"

Knuckles wondered to himself why this man was so angry all of a sudden. Maybe they frequented this bar often? But what was the bit about the place's own set of rules?

Knuckles looked the man dead in the eyes.

"Make me."

That did it. The man lunged toward Knuckles, who leapt to the side. Even though he was aggressive, the echidna tried not to throw the first punch; he was better than that. He took note of Fwan ducking behind the counter, and wondered just what on Mobius was going on here.

The other two men seemed to not jump in right away; they were biding their time to see just how dangerous this alien newcomer to their town was. A wise move, Knuckles thought.

The man Knuckles was currently dealing with rolled up his sleeves in an aggressive manner before he charged again. Then Knuckles saw it – a dragon tattoo on his left arm, just like the one Hawk had.

The mark of the Jùlèbù…

Now that he knew what he was up against, Knuckles decided now was the time to take action. In one deft move, he punched the wind out of the man before he could react, but not enough to do serious damage. Dusting his hands, he turned to the other two men.

"Anyone else wanna try me?" he challenged. "'Cause I'm just getting warmed up!"

"Enough," came an authoritative new voice from the door. The other two men – also with the Jùlèbù, Knuckles assumed – turned to the newcomer and bowed in respect.

"Master Li Yan," they acknowledged.

Knuckles sized Li Yan up. He was a big man, unlike many of the people he had seen around Hong Kong. He took it he was the boss of this sect of the Jùlèbù.

"Knuckles the Echidna, I take it?" he spoke.

"H-How do you–"

"Your reputation precedes you, Knuckles," Li Yan spoke jovially. Who hasn't heard of you and the band of animals who came here from the other world?" He chuckled. "But now, to business. I hear you are searching for someone named… Hawk?"

Knuckles was slightly taken aback at how Li Yan knew about Hawk, but decided not to show it.

"Yes," he spoke. "If you know where he is, take me to him right away."

Li Yan laughed, patting Knuckles on the back.

"I like you; you're a man who gets straight to the point," he complimented. "Very well, I will take you to your friend."

As they stepped outside, Knuckles was mildly perplexed by Li Yan's friendly demeanor. Wasn't he supposed to be the boss of this jewel-smuggling gang?

"Is there a catch?" Knuckles probed.

"No price," Li Yan assured. "None at all, save for my own hospitality."

They continued walking, and Knuckles looked around at the ancient architecture laced with modern technology. Angel Island did not have much in the way of technology, but if his tribe was still around, they might have shown interest in the technology of the planet below. On second thought, they probably wanted to preserve their history and culture as best as they could.

"So, uh… How far is this place?"

"Not far," said Li Yan. "Your patience will reward you in time." He cleared his throat. "I must commend you for overwhelming my men with brute force. Not many people can do that."

Knuckles shrugged. "I did what had to be done," he responded nonchalantly.

"And modest, too!" Li Yan complimented."Knuckles, I have a feeling you and I are going to be the best of friends!"

Knuckles didn't know if Li Yan was genuine or just figurative. After all, this was the boss of the Jùlèbù. He started to second-guess himself, but at the same time, if he didn't follow him, he might not find out where Hawk was.

It took them another ten minutes before they arrived at a certain building. Like the other structures around it, it was ancient. Li Yan held the door open for Knuckles, beckoning the guardian to step through first, which he did. Once inside, he looked around the place. The inside was even more run-down than the outside, to his slight surprise.

"Place doesn't look all that homey," Knuckles dryly commented.

"Well…" Li Yan put his hands in his pockets. "Money is tight, and the economy is not looking up anytime soon, so… we make do."

"So… is this some kind of apartment building, I take it?"

"Yes, you could say that."

The Jùlèbù boss led Knuckles down a wooden set of stairs, which branched out into a hallway with doors on either side. They stopped at the second door on the right.

"Are you sure he's here?" Knuckles asked. Something about this place seemed… sketchy. Why was Li Yan being so hospitable to someone who had just taken out some of his men?

"Why would I lie? I assure you, you will see your friend very soon."

Fishing around in his right pocket, Li Yan produced a small remote control and pressed a button. Before Knuckles could question his motives, a trap door opened directly beneath him, and the echidna fell through with a yelp.

He tumbled down a chute of some sort, which resembled a pipe, and was just as dark and slimy. He was just about to brace himself against the walls on either side of him when the chute came to an abrupt end in the form of a prison cell. It was a typical cell, with bars and concrete walls.

But the thing that got Knuckles attention was the fact that he was not alone. Someone else was down there with him, looking just as surprised as he did.

Li Yan was telling the truth after all.

Knuckles and Hawk stared at each other for a long while. Both of them were speechless at the other's presence. They had not expected to meet each other again in this way.

"They got you too…" breathed Hawk.

Knuckles clenched his fists. "He tricked me. I should have seen this coming!"

"They tricked me too," Hawk said. "You are not alone."

Knuckles was confused for a moment. "I thought you were a Jùlèbù man; why did they put you here?"

"Knuckles…" started Hawk. "I have not forgotten about you. You, and your kindness… I had decided from that day on that I no longer wanted to be a Jùlèbù man. They found out, and imprisoned me here."

Knuckles was genuinely amazed at the guts this guy had. Chris was the only other human he could compare him to who was this brave.

"How long have you been in here?" he asked, sitting down and leaning himself against the uncomfortable concrete wall next to his friend.

"At least three weeks," Hawk responded, before he looked more somber than he already was. "No one leaves the Jùlèbù alive. The only reason I am still breathing right now is because my brother insisted that I live."

Knuckles was silent, letting this sink in.

"That's some pretty heavy stuff…" he sympathized. "Are you the one who sent the note for me to go to Fwan's bar?"

"Note?" Hawk voiced his confusion, before he realized what had happened. "No, that wasn't me! I do not drink, and I've never been there before!" His voiced dropped once more. "That's how they got you."

Knuckles grit his teeth at the injustice done to him and his new friend, but held back his temper. He might need it later. Instead, he opted to change the subject.

"Find any treasure in your travels?"

"Yes…" Hawk pondered. "There was treasure here and there, but I was forced to give it all to Li Yan. I take it you have already met him."

Knuckles nodded.

"I don't want to pry or anything, but what kind of treasure did you find?" he asked.

"I found a sapphire here and there, and even a gold necklace, but there was one treasure that really stood out."

Knuckles became more attentive.

"It was a large red stone about this size," he continued, holding up his hands to form the approximate size of a Chaos Emerald. "It looked like a perfect cut diamond."

"That's it," Knuckles started to exclaim, sitting up. "That's the exact gemstone I'm looking for!"

"Really?" Hawk questioned in amazement.

"Really!" confirmed Knuckles. "That's a Chaos Emerald. There are seven of them total. Have you heard of them?"

"Well… I heard the name from you, but I also heard a little here and there through the news. Knuckles… is it true that anyone who has all seven Chaos Emeralds can conquer the world?"

The echidna held back a snicker. "I think you've been listening to the underground rumors," he smiled. "That only happens if they fall into the wrong hands."

Hawk's intrigue showed in his eyes. "Is there more to the Chaos Emeralds I do not know about?"

"Plenty," said Knuckles. "You've probably heard of Dr. Eggman, right?" Hawk nodded. "Back on my world, he accidentally used them to create a surge of energy called Chaos Control to send us here. Now I need all seven to get back."

"What is your world like…?"

"It's… somewhat similar to this world, I guess, except it's more… peaceful. Cleaner, even." He let out a sigh. "That's where my home is. It's a floating island and resting place of the Master Emerald, which keeps the island afloat and balances the power of the Chaos Emeralds. I'm the sole guardian of the Master Emerald… and that's why I must return as soon as I can.

Hawk remained silent, listening in astonishment to Knuckles relating to him about his home. Except…

"Did you say the island _floats_?"

"Absolutely. Angel Island literally hover miles above the surface of Mobius. And yes… it's as incredible as it sounds."

"And once you collect all of them, you can return home."

"That's right."

Hawk stood up, taking on a look of realization. "The Chaos Emerald… Li Yan said he wants to sell it for personal gain!"

"Do you still have it?" Knuckles asked, before his gaze rested on something on the other side of the room. Hawk was just about to answer when Knuckles shook his head. "No, don't answer."

Hawk was confused, until he followed Knuckles' gaze to a concealed listening device on the wall.

"The room is bugged," Knuckled whispered to his friend. "Now cover your ears. I'm gonna bust us out of here right now."

He marched straight up to the listening device and took a deep breath.

"COME GET US, PUNKS!"

With that task done, he made his way back toward Hawk. "Stick close," he cautioned as he reared back his fist. One crushing punch later, a large hole was created in the wall, big enough for both of them to fit through.

Knuckles climbed through first, then Hawk. It took all in three seconds for the echidna to locate a staircase, even if it wasn't the same one he had gone down earlier. Wasting no time, he quickly scaled it, taking frequent pauses to allow Hawk to catch up.

Once they reached the top, Knuckles took Hawk's hand. Another thirty seconds later, they became aware of the sounds of commotion approaching them – footsteps ascending the stairs from behind.

"They have guns," Hawk warned, panting.

"And I've got fists," replied Knuckles, holding one up. "Let 'em bring it."

At last, the front door came into view, and not a moment too soon, for the Jùlèbù men started to enter the room. They started to open fire, and one bullet nearly clipped Hawk's sleeve. Wasting no time, Knuckles punched the door off its hinges and took off into the streets with Hawk in tow.

He quickly located a nearby alley, and pulled Hawk into it. They heard orders being barked in Chinese, and Knuckles had no clue what they were saying, but whatever it was, it wasn't good.

However, Knuckles noticed something in the night air he didn't think he would see in a hundred years. The unmistakable form of a surveillance orb from the Robotropolis days was eyeing him from above. It was unmistakable.

 _Snap out of it!_ Knuckles chided himself. He had to get himself and Hawk to safety if they wanted to escape being filled with lead.

He continued to take Hawk through the numerous winding alleys. Sure, he could easily climb the buildings to escape the men, but not with Hawk in his company; it would be too dangerous.

After a few minutes, he stopped, motioning for Hawk to remain silent, while he strained to listen to the men. Hopefully he put enough distance between them and himself. The eerie silence brought him both relief and dread.

The sudden sound of a solitary sound of footsteps snapped Knuckles back to attention, and one of the Jùlèbù men passed dangerously close to their location, miraculously not looking in their direction. The alley Knuckles and Hawk had hidden themselves in was quite tight, and not made for people to be in – not that they were left with any choice.

Soon, the voices of the other men began to fade, but Knuckles decided to stay where he was for a few more moments, just to play it safe.

Once he was satisfied that the men were well and truly gone, the echidna squeezed out of the alley, and beckoned his friend to emerge as well. The adrenalin was evident in Hawk's face.

"I… I thought my mouth w-was going to burst out of my heart–" he quickly realized his mistake. "I-I mean, my h-heart was going to burst out of m-my mouth…"

Knuckles smiled, knowing what Hawk meant to say. He patted the man on the back.

"You're a free man now," he softly spoke. "How does it feel?"

"It… it feels like… like a burden was lifted…" Hawk spoke slowly, comprehending what this all meant for him. Then he realized something. "But… now they are going to hunt me down for revenge."

Great. Knuckles hadn't thought this far yet. There had to be a way to keep Hawk safe from his former gang. But he couldn't think of how to do it.

"I can't guarantee that I'm going to be around here much longer," he said, "but… it's probably best that you move out of the country or something."

"But… this is my home…"

"I know."

"…I'll tell you what. I will consider it, if it means staying away from the Jùlèbù."

Knuckles nodded.

"What were you going to tell me back at the prison?" he asked as they continued walking.

Hawk thought for a moment. "You asked me if I still have the Emerald." Knuckles nodded. "Yes. Yes I do. The very moment I found it hidden in some grass, I knew it was special. It looked too valuable to take back to Li Yan, so… I hid it, and decided not to tell anyone about it."

Knuckles whistled. "That must have taken some serious guts. Do you still know where it's buried?"

Hawk nodded. "It's buried in an abandoned subway a few kilometers from here."

"That's a bit far to run with that gang after you," Knuckles said. "And I don't know how long you can hold up running that far."

"We can use a rickshaw," Hawk suggested.

Knuckles looked confused. "What's wrong with a taxi?"

"This part of Hong Kong does not have taxi service," explained Hawk.

As if on cue, a rickshaw rounded the corner. Knuckles wasn't used to seeing something so simplistic – all it was was a wooden carriage seating two pulled by a bicycle.

Hawk flagged it down and approached it. The rickshaw driver did not speak very much English, but Hawk was able to fluently communicate with him in his native Chinese language.

After a moment, Hawk signaled Knuckles to come over. He climbed into the cart first, followed by Knuckles. The driver then took off.

Knuckles looked around as they rode through the old district in the rickshaw. Even though it was dark out, it was still quite an interesting experience. This was probably how the ancient Chinese traveled. Or perhaps the rickshaw was introduced to them by the Americans or another civilization. Either way, it was a fast low-tech way to get around.

"Were you born here in Hong Kong?" Knuckles asked Hawk.

"Born and raised," the man replied. "It's a pleasure to be a resident of this city. Not just for the culture, but for the food as well. As people say, food is love." He closed his eyes. "We have a rich four-thousand-year history of food, fine crafts, culture, and did I mention food?"

As Hawk went on about all the different kinds of food that China had, Knuckles felt content that his friend's mind was off of the Jùlèbù for the time being. He seemed fond of China, and Knuckles hoped Hawk wouldn't miss it too much once he got him out.

"You speak very good English," Knuckles complimented once there was a lull in the monologue.

"I took classes," said Hawk. "In fact, everyone in my old gang said I spoke better English than Li Yan. That's why they used me as their translator sometimes…" He turned to look at his alien friend. "Thank you again for rescuing me."

Knuckles smiled. "Don't mention it."

It took them over ten minutes before they arrived at their destination. After Knuckles and Hawk disembarked from the rickshaw, Hawk paid the driver with money Knuckles had lent to him, and he drove off. "You don't have to pay me back," Knuckles said.

At Hawk's indication, they started toward the entrance to the abandoned subway. Knuckles wondered if he was going soft by helping Hawk. Then again, Hawk had made a profound impact on him, and not just because he too knew about the Emerald.

"I hope there's enough light for us to see down there," Knuckles said as they descended the stairs.

"There is," assured Hawk. "There are several entrances to the subway, but it may still take some time to be fully used to the dark."

A moment later, they reached the bottom of the stairs. Just as Hawk had said, it was almost pitch plack, except for some pockets of light here and there. Fortunately, Knuckles was able to acclimate to the dark quickly.

"So I found this stone, the Chaos Emerald, at the place where the Jùlèbù used to make their… transactions," Hawk spoke, searching for the right word. "They change their headquarters often to escape the law. It's good I found the Emerald when I did." Knuckles nodded in approval.

"Do you still remember exactly where it's buried?" he asked as they made their way down to the tracks.

"I should…" mused Hawk. "It's been over a month since I buried it. I should still remember…" He began to walk along the tracks, carefully studying the ground, with Knuckles right behind him.

"It's the ninth railroad tie from the ramp…" Hawk mumbled to himself. Once he reached said spot, he bent down and began to dig in the ground next to the tie. Knuckled stepped forward, ready to help, but Hawk was already unearthing a small burlap sack.

"Here it is, exactly where I left it," he announced. He untied the bag and lifted out a pristine red Chaos Emerald. "I am grateful to repay you after… after what you went through for me tonight. It makes me feel good inside. I know you need it more than I do, so… here you go." He extended the Emerald toward Knuckles, who gently accepted it.

"You've been a great help, Hawk," Knuckles started, before they both became aware of the quiet sound of approaching footsteps. Knuckles thrust the Emerald back into the bag.

"They found us…" moaned Hawk. Knuckles stepped in front of him for protection, just in case the Jùlèbù came prepared. But the next voice that spoke was not one of them. In fact, it was all too familiar for the echidna.

"May I commend you for finding that Emerald for me," spoke the gravelly voice of Dr. Eggman.

Beyond Knuckles' comprehension, he was there, sitting impassively in his Eggmobile about ten yards away.

"Why are you here?" demanded Knuckles. "How are you here?! You're supposed to be marooned under the ocean!"

"That's beside the point," retorted Eggman.

"Stay here," Knuckles cautioned Hawk before taking a few strides toward Eggman. He suddenly leaped in the doctor's direction. To his surprise, he didn't even flinch or even react at all. Instead, he simply faded away, as if he was never there at all. Knuckles was completely baffled.

"Help!" came Hawk's frantic cry from behind him.

Knuckles spun around to see that his friend was at the mercy of a pair of nunchucks wielded by none other that the rickshaw driver who initially brought them to the subway. Now Knuckles was really perplexed. So much was going on all at once.

Knuckles stormed toward the newcomer.

"Let him go!" he roared.

The man's head swiveled in his direction. His response caught the echidna off guard.

"Holography no Jutsu."

In a flash, where a rickshaw driver once stood, there was now an android that resembled a woman and a ninja at the same time. This made Knuckles hesitant to attack; he would never hit a girl. Not even Rouge.

"You were always too soft, Knuckles," she spoke coyly. "Too afraid to hit a girl, I see? Man up. The art of the Kunoichi is to forsake ladyhood. My creator Dr. Eggman has sent me to acquire the Chaos Emerald your friend foolishly thought you could hide from us."

 _A talkative one, even for a ninja_ , thought Knuckles. _Well, she won't be talking for much longer._

In one swift move, the Kunoichi, designated E-91, yanked on the nunchucks, causing Hawk to yelp and release his grip on the bag. This was when Knuckles bolted forward. He reached her just as she caught the bag.

He made a flying tackle toward her, mildly surprised she did not immediately dodge. After a brief tangle with her, he managed to knock the bag from her grasp. E-91 turned to face Knuckles, now that she was distracted from her objective. She held one end of the nunchucks with one hand, and the chain with the other. Knuckles inwardly marveled; that was an odd way to hold such a weapon.

"Sixteen Tons no Jutsu!" she declared.

At her command, the other end of the nunchucks, the end she wasn't holding, started to inflate into a giant iron ball that looked to weigh appropriately sixteen tons. This defied physics, but Knuckles had no time to care.

The Kunoichi skillfully swung the ball toward Knuckles, who leaped back. The ball slammed into a concrete wall, causing major damage to that part of the subway.

Deep down, Knuckles was amazed at E-91's fighting skill. For a robot as small as she was, she could pack a serious punch. Still, she had nothing on Espio.

On the other hand, Hawk was stymied and more than a little nervous over all that was happening. He had never seen anything quite like this. He did not have a clue what to do.

Using an undamaged wall as leverage, Knuckles propelled himself high into the air and glided toward the Kunoichi. She swung the ball upward, smashing part of the ceiling. It immediately started to cave in, and as dust started to fill the subway, Knuckles realized the gravity of the situation.

"Hawk! Get the Emerald and run!" he yelled.

Snapped from his trance, Hawk forced his legs to move toward the fallen bag, but E-91 was already one step ahead of him. Right as he was reaching for the bag, the Kunoichi was preparing to intercept him with her transformed nunchucks. Knuckles bolted toward her just as she swung, which forced Hawk to scramble out of the way, away from the Emerald. The iron ball barely missed his head.

As the ball started to swing around again, Knuckles punched it upward into the ceiling again. As much as he didn't want to further damage the sewer, there was no other direction he could have redirected the blunt weapon.

The impact caused a huge portion of the subway, along with the street above it, to fall into the subway with a deafening crash. Hawk frantically looked for any sign of the Emerald.

"Forget it!" Knuckles called. "Just run!"

Knuckles abandoned his skirmish with E-91 and ran over to Hawk. Taking his hand, he bolted up the stairs two at a time. Hawk had a hard time keeping up as the Kunoichi continued to go berserk beneath them.

Knuckles practically read the pleading look in Hawk's eyes.

"We'll come back for it," he promised. "Lives aren't replaceable, you know."

Seconds later, they made it to the street above. Hawk slowed down, panting from the exertion. He had never run this fast and this far in one night in his life. However, Knuckles pulled on his arm to get him to continue.

"We can't stop now," he urged. "That robot probably made the ground here unstable. We have to keep moving!"

Hawk nodded and followed after Knuckles as he ran through the night. Already his legs felt like fire, but it was either press on or possibly fall to his death beneath the streets. Since he cared to preserve his life, he opted for the former.

"I'm sorry!" he called out about ten minutes later. "I can't go any farther!"

"It's fine," Knuckles waved, slowing to a stop. "We've gone far enough."

"Good…" Hawk panted. "So… where to from here…?"

Knuckles paused for a moment to think, before turning back to look at Hawk.

"You have a house somewhere?" he asked.

"I do," Hawk responded, "but it has been some time since I was there last. It's not far from here." He started slowly walking down the road they were on. "We can spend the night there, then come back to see if we can dig up the Emerald."

Knuckles nodded in approval. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

 **Hawk's house – Wed December 1; 10:38 AM**

Knuckles wasn't surprised that both he and Hawk slept in that morning. He was normally a late riser, but this was a little late even for him.

While the echidna paced the floor, pondering what happened last night, Hawk was watching the morning news on his cable TV. To Hawk's relief, the house had not been touched by the Jùlèbù, so they were both able to sleep that night. Regardless, Knuckles had offered to keep watch in case anything happened, but eventually he fell asleep too.

While he kept watch, an idea started to formulate in his head. It seemed that Hawk wasn't safe from the Jùlèbù in China. He had told Knuckles that they were the type to hunt him down and kill him. Evidently they did not take too kindly to deserters.

Knuckles knew he had to leave as soon as he got the Emerald back, but that would mean saying goodbye to Hawk and leaving him to fend for himself against the Jùlèbù. Sonic had set an example; friends should not show kindness and subsequently abandon them in their time of need. Knuckles knew he would eventually return to Station Square. Hawk did say he would consider moving out. Maybe something could be done.

Now, Knuckles couldn't understand a word of what the news reporter was saying. He knew English, and some of the ancient echidna language, but Chinese was entirely new to him. He could make out that the reporter was relating the collapse of the subway last night. Knuckles had not stuck around to witness the subway finishing collapsing.

Several thoughts plagued him all through the night as he lay on the hammock Hawk had set up for him. Now they made their way to the surface.

Knuckles let out a frustrated sigh. "We just _had_ that Emerald," he vented. "How did Eggman even know I was here? And why was he using one of his stone-age surveillance orbs?"

"Surveillance orbs?" Hawk queried.

"It's an old spy robot Eggman used a long time ago," Knuckles summed up. "Maybe…" he started to get an answer to his question. "Maybe he chose to use it because all of his newer robots were too recognizable. Still, I never took Eggman to be a dinosaur."

Hawk looked even more confused. "…Dinosaur…? I thought that…"

"He's a human, yes," Knuckles clarified, stifling a laugh. "It just means that he's prone to being outdated sometimes. In this case, he used somewhat obsolete technology… Obsolete for _Mobian_ technology, that is. I'm not really a tech guy, but that's just one thing I happened to pick up about him." He glanced at the TV, which had now moved on to another story. "What did he say? Do you know?"

"The authorities are launching a full investigation into this," translated Hawk. "For now, it does not look like we can do much."

"But there's gotta be _something_ we can do!" ranted Knuckles.

He took out his frustration on Hawk's punching bag, hitting it so hard that it not only flew off its hinges, but it burst open, sending sawdust everywhere. A few beams that once supported the bag also fell on him, sending him sprawling. A box containing a few metallic things banged together as they fell of a shelf.

Hawk ran over and immediately pulled Knuckles to his feet.

"You need to be more careful," he chided. "Are you okay?"

"Sure," Knuckles dismissed. "Just… don't know my own strength sometimes is… all…"

His voice trailed off as he saw what was in the box that had fallen. He crawled over to get a closer look.

"My old Shovel Claws…" he breathed. He slowly lifted one up and turned it over in his hands, unaware of Hawk's being surprised at Knuckles knowing what they were. "But… how'd they get here…? How did I not have them this whole time…?"

"These are relics from the day you saved my life," explained Hawk. "After we parted ways, I found them lying on the ground near where the two walls came together. I claimed them as my own and brought them back here. I promised myself to never tell Li Yan about them."

"I gotta say, Hawk, you're tougher than you look," said Knuckles. "But if I were you, I wouldn't throw myself into danger like that."

Hawk nodded in understanding, glancing down at the metal gloves Knuckles had uncovered. "But, uh, what exactly are these 'Shovel Claws'? And how do you know about them?"

Knuckles closed his eyes. "They're relics from my tribe that were passed down from generation to generation, but in a war, they got lost. I later found them in my travels, and used them for digging ever since.

"Digging…" Hawk mused.

Just then Knuckles looked up, a gleam of fresh hope in his eyes.

"Hawk, you're a genius!" he exclaimed. "We're gonna use these to dig for the Emerald! Come on!"

With that, Knuckles tore out of the house, followed by a very confused Hawk, who was wondering what just happened.

* * *

 **The subway – Wed December 1; 10:56 AM**

It took the two treasure hunters roughly fifteen minutes to reach the scene of the wreckage. The news feed did not exaggerate; it was a total disaster zone. The entire street was cracked for several hundred yards, and the buildings in the immediate area had been evacuated. Police lines were set up everywhere, but the police were not present at this particular part of the scene.

Hawk cautiously looked down into the gaping hole where a street one lay.

"It could be anywhere in there…" he quietly said.

But Knuckles did not answer. He had his eyes closed, as if intently focusing on something.

"Knuckles…?"

Knuckles opened his eyes. "I think I know its general location. Just stay here and I'll get it."

"But… How do you… You don't…"

"I have the ability to sense Chaos Emeralds within a limited area," explained Knuckles as he slipped on his Shovel Claws. "Call it a sixth sense, if you will."

"Oh, you mean like a… a superpower?"

Knuckles smirked. "Never thought of it that way, but okay. Now stay back; I don't want you falling in if it collapses further."

"Okay," Hawk nodded as Knuckles ducked under the police line and carefully climbed down into the wreck.

His acute vision began to kick in, helping him adjust to the dark as he began to dig. He felt great. He hadn't gotten the chance to wear his Shovel Claws since the Phantom War, and it was like they hadn't changed a bit since then.

Every now and then, he stopped to sense for the Emerald, and occasionally made his way in a different direction. He was grateful that Hawk had managed to find not only the Shovel Claws, but also the Chaos Emerald. Knuckles was a loner by nature, but he could call Hawk a friend. Now he wanted to pay it forward and help him escape his former enemies.

It did not take long at all for his gaze to rest upon a familiar beige bag. Swiping it up, he made his way back to the surface. He had to be quick to avoid another cave-in or even police detection. He was lucky to have not been buried or caught yet.

"Hawk! I got it!" he shouted.

However, his friend was nowhere to be seen.

"Hawk? Where are you?"

No response.

He began to search the area for his friend. He didn't expect Hawk to simply walk away without telling him, unless the Jùlèbù somehow caught up to him.

He instinctively ducked as a shuriken narrowly missed his head, embedding itself in the brick wall next to him. He glanced back to see if he could find the culprit… but no there was no one to be seen, no trace that anyone was around.

Knuckles turned back to the shuriken to see that it was pinning a note to the wall. He removed the weapon and read the note. It was immediately made clear that it was an ultimatum.

 _"If you wish to see your friend again, come to the prominent construction site in the north section of Hong Kong, and bring the Chaos Emerald with you. If you do not show up by nightfall, Hawk will be roboticized."_

Knuckles gritted his teeth. _Eggman…_

While he didn't doubt his own ability to scale building with ease, Hong Kong was nothing short of huge. In fact, it was much bigger than Station Square. Sure, there was probably a distinct construction site in the city, but he didn't know if he could navigate the city and get to Hawk in time. Furthermore, it would help if he knew which way north was.

It was debatable to Knuckles whether Eggman was bluffing about the roboticizing part. But he was one to follow through with his threats, and Knuckles knew that moping wouldn't do him any good. Guardians didn't mope.

Glancing up at the brick structure next to him, he took a deep breath and scaled the vertical surface, eventually reaching the roof. As the Shovel Claws were heavy, he removed them, and glided from rooftop to rooftop, searching for any sign of a large construction site.

* * *

 **Hong Kong – Wed December 1; 12:17 PM**

Just over an hour later at his estimate, Knuckles finally located a construction site large enough to stick out from some of the others he had passed by. Although he didn't have a compass or any device that could tell him which way north was, he had arrived, and that was all that mattered.

Knuckles was sure this was the right construction site because it had a large crane made for skyscrapers. From the rooftop he was standing on, he peered closer at the crane when he saw something tied to the end of the winch, which was overlooking the city.

He was shocked to see that it was indeed Hawk. It was a frightening position for anyone to be in, and, for all Knuckles knew, it could be even worse if Hawk happened to have vertigo.

Knuckles leaped off the edge of the skyscraper, and glided toward the construction site. Evidently it was a skyscraper which had just begun to be built, for it was bare bones, with its exposed steel girders.

He skillfully landed on one of the girders closest to Hawk, and spread his arms to steady himself. He began his treacherous approach, but he did not expect a hologram of Eggman in his Eggmobile to appear in front of him and cut him off.

"Good afternoon, Knuckles," he greeted in an almost formal manner. "I trust you brought the Chaos Emerald with you?"

Knuckles wordlessly held up the red gem for the mad doctor to see. Eggman nodded in satisfaction before gesturing to E-91, who was standing on an adjacent girder.

"Now, just hand it to E-91, and you will get your friend back," he said before the hologram vanished. The Kunoichi turned to face Knuckles.

Knuckles breathed in and out, weighing his options. He could give the Emerald to the Kunoichi as Eggman requested, but that would mean he would have an edge over him. Sonic had at least three Chaos Emeralds of his own, but they would still eventually need to get this one from Eggman should he claim it.

On the other hand, if he were to do anything else, and deviate from the ultimatum, he knew Hawk would be punished. As far as Knuckles knew, Eggman did not have an operational roboticizer in this world, but he didn't want to test that theory with someone he had just met.

However, a third option presented itself to Knuckles. In his peripheral vision, he could see Rouge waving to him to throw it to her. Now he was baffled. Wasn't she supposed to be overseas, searching for Eggman – the real Eggman – underwater? Well, it didn't matter now; she was here, and that's all he needed to know. Perhaps she had caught word of his quest. Yet he didn't tell anyone that he was over in China. So how did she know?

As much as Knuckles didn't want to work with Rouge because of her flirty behavior and kleptomaniacal antics, he had to admit the Chaos Emerald was much better off in her hands than Eggman's.

So he tossed the Chaos Emerald, still inside the bag, to Rouge wil all his might. Unfortunately, the sun was a bit glary that day, and he misjudged the distance, so the bag fell just short of her.

With a call of "Kite no Jutsu", the Kunoichi immediately sprouted a glider on her back and dove down after the falling Emerald just as Rouge was doing the same. With this unexpected distraction, Knuckles carefully advanced toward Hawk once more. All he needed to do was keep one foot perfectly straight in front of the other, and keep his hands out for balance.

Knuckles saw that Knuckles was tied with sturdy rope to the crane's winch, and he didn't know how to operate the crane, which left him with only one option: untie him from the top.

"Hawk! Can you hear me?" Knuckles shouted. "I'm gonna get you down from there! Just stay calm!"

A frightened mumbled reply was all he got as he scaled the crane and gingerly crawled along the top toward the rope. Fortunately, wind was not a hazard that day; the only thing that could hinder Knuckles' forward progress was the glare of the sun on the metal surface of the crane which, now that Knuckles thought of it, was hot to the touch.

Having finally reached the ropes, Knuckles began to undo the tight knots, which was not an easy task, since he wore mittens rather than gloves. It didn't stop him before, and he wouldn't let it stop him now.

Once the last knot came undone, Knuckles grabbed the loose rope with both hands. The sudden weight in his hands nearly made him fall off the crave, but he held tight. If Hawk wasn't panicking before, he certainly was now.

"Don't look down!" Knuckles shouted as he leaped off the crane. He extended his arms forward, and began to glide through the air.

He clung to the rope as firmly as he could. He was not used to gliding while carrying anyone, let alone tied to a rope. It was much more reckless than he would have wanted, but it wasn't like he had a choice. Sure, he could have attempted to pull Hawk up, but then they would have had to find a way down anyway.

It took about a minute of gliding before they landed in one of the crowded streets below. With his hands still tied behind his back, Hawk was forced to run to a stop as Knuckles landed. The echidna panted; Hawk seemed to be getting heavier with each passing second. His love for food must have gone straight to his hips.

"Thank you, Knuckles," Hawk profusely thanked as Knuckles untied his hands. "Thank you!"

"Don't thank me yet," Knuckles said. "There's still an Emerald on the line."

He took off down the crowded sidewalk, with Hawk not far behind. Knuckles may have been smaller than Hawk, but he was surprisingly fast. Rouge and the Kunoichi were nowhere in sight.

Meanwhile, E-91 was still in hot pursuit of Rouge, who had retrieved the bag and was holding it tightly. No way would she let something as gorgeous and powerful as a Chaos Emerald fall into Eggman's hands.

But E-91 was gaining on her, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she pounced. So Rouge had to think fast and act faster to escape. Already a plan was formulating in her mind.

In a sudden move, she slowed down and kicked a hole straight through the Kunoichi's glider, smirking at the satisfying shredding sound of the fabric, and took off in the opposite direction. However, E-91 was prepared for this. She sprouted a second pair of wings, reminiscent of a flying squirrel's. She recovered from the change of events quickly enough to whip a shuriken through the air toward Rouge. It sliced the bottom of the bag off, causing the Emerald to fall out.

By this time, both bat and ninja robot were in the sights of Knuckles and Hawk.

"Stay here," Knuckles told Hawk as he charged toward the falling Emerald. It had been taken high enough in the air for it to still be falling at this point.

Knuckles reached the Emerald, and just as he leaped into the air to make a flying catch, E-91 appeared out of nowhere and kicked him into a nearby awning. Doing so, however, caused her to lose sight of the Emerald, which fell among the people who were staring in disbelief at everything that was going on.

The red gem landed not far from Hawk, who instinctively raced toward it. Knowing he was momentarily their last hope, he picked it up, and was forced to run away as he caught sight of the Kunoichi flying after him. Right behind her was Rouge, who was slowly but surely bridging the gap between them. It was a good thing for both Hawk and Rouge that E-91's flying squirrel wings made her fly rather awkwardly.

Just as the robot was about to reach Hawk, Rouge blasted forward with a sudden burst of adrenalin and kicked her into the air, throwing her off course. Knuckles, having climbed down from the awning, resumed the chase, weaving through the confused and nervous pedestrians.

"Hawk! Keep running!" he shouted, even though he didn't think Hawk could hear him.

Meanwhile, Hawk found a dead end in an alley and panted, presuming the immediate danger to be over for now. Knuckles and whoever that other figure was could take care of the robot.

The hair on the back of his neck started to rise, and a chill ran down his spine. He had a sinking feeling he wasn't in the clear.

Suddenly the Emerald was swiped from his hands from somewhere behind him. Turning around Hawk saw E-91 hiding a few feet up in a corner, bracing the walls with her legs.

"Yoink no jutsu," she taunted.

She pushed herself off the wall and bolted from the alley, only for Rouge and Knuckles to cut her off.

"You're not going anywhere," Knuckles told E-91. However, the Kunoichi placed the Chaos Emerald onto her chest, and absorbed it whole. He expected some form of resistance, but he didn't expect her to do that.

He rushed toward E-91 with a flurry of punches, which she dodged. She was programmed to be more than capable of hand-to-hand combat.

"Her power may be amplified!" Rouge warned.

"I know!" Knuckles called back as he dodged another blow.

The Kunoichi rebounded off of one of the walls, and threw several shurikens in a wave fashion at Knuckles, who narrowly avoided them. In fact, one of them passed by his right hip by only two inches.

While E-91 was distracted with Knuckles, Rouge flapped her wings a few times to gain some altitude, then drop-kicked the Kunoichi to the ground. Taken by surprise, she did not get back up immediately. Knuckles stared down at the fallen robot, and Rouge landed next to him, arms crossed.

"Are you going to give me the Chaos Emerald?" Rouge asked. "'Cause I didn't exactly go out of my way to jump through a few hoops for it, you know?"

Hawk gingerly made his way back to the entrance of the alley. Out of the corner of his eye, Knuckles noticed his approach.

"No, stay back," he cautioned.

The distraction was all the Kunoichi needed. She extended her left hand toward Knuckles.

"Electric bind no jutsu."

Before either hero could react, an electric net shot out of E-91's hand and ensnared Knuckles, similar to Spider-Man, and shocked him with red electric bolts as it held him down. To make matters worse, the technique was strengthened by the Chaos Emerald E-91 had absorbed, hence the red color. A second electric net launched from the Kunoichi's hand at Rouge, but she flew backwards and out of the way just in time to avoid it.

"Knuckles!" Hawk cried out in desperation. Now Rouge was filled with determination to take this robot down.

Knuckles grit his teeth as the pure Chaos energy crackled all around him and even through him. In fact, he could see a vision of the Master Emerald upon the altar. Year after year, century after century, the Master Emerald had stood strong, keeping the island aloft through every violent storm, torrential rain, and buffeting wind.

Such was the determination of Knuckles the Echidna.

"Is there anything we can do?!" Hawk exclaimed, fear building in his eyes. "Will water work?"

"The doctor always makes his robots waterproof," Rouge exclaimed. "So… yeah, no. Now stand back, kid. It's gonna get messy."

She reared back, preparing to execute a Screw Kick, when the Kunoichi attempted to fire off another net in her direction. With a quick flap of her wings, she barely dodged the electricity, which slightly singed part of her fur.

"That's not how you treat a lady, you know," Rouge muttered.

She spun her entire body and dove feet first toward the Kunoichi so suddenly that it barely had any time to react. She had just leaped to her feet and was about to make a run for it when Rouge made impact with her torso, sending her sprawling. Smoke started to emit from the robot, and without her control over Knuckles, the electric net disappeared around him, leaving him panting.

Hawk fearfully stood back, anticipating a revenge strike from the ninja robot. Rouge and Knuckles once again approached the heavily damaged E-91, whose torso was heavily damaged.

"Just give us the Emerald already," Knuckles demanded. "It's no use holding off any longer."

E-91 looked up, a dangerous glint in its electronic eyes.

"Chaos Blast no jutsu."

"Chaos Bla–" Knuckles' eyes widened. "Guys, run. Run now."

As E-91 began to glow red, Rouge and Hawk bolted from their spots. As Hawk was slightly more plump than the average local, he wasn't able to run as fast as Knuckles. The echidna reached out and took his hand, and they ran as fast as they could to escape the robot.

While Hawk was scared, he was also confused, and was about to ask Knuckles what was going on when a tremendous explosion of energy erupted from behind them. It was so powerful that Knuckles and Hawk were thrown to the ground by the shock wave it caused. Rouge was able to land on her hands and pick herself up quickly.

Knuckles and Hawk picked themselves up and turned around to see the aftermath of the explosion. Even though the buildings that were caught in the blast sustained moderate damage, everyone had naturally cleared away from the fight, and no one was hurt. A hush was brought to the street as Knuckles, Hawk, and Rouge were reeling from the adrenalin rush.

"I didn't know Eggman's robots could even do that…" Knuckles panted.

Rouge glanced at the smoldering remains of the Kunoichi. "Well… looks like they're more advanced than we know."

"By the way…" Knuckles glanced at the bat, who was examining her singed fur. "What are you even doing here? I thought you were supposed to be looking for Eggman in the ocean."

The three started to walk back toward the dropped Chaos Emerald., which lay a few feet from E-91.

"Oh, they decided I could have the week off, and I heard there was a rumor about an Emerald sighting out here, so… You can add two and two together and figure out the rest. Also, I figured I'd check up on you, Knuckie."

"…How did you get here?" Knuckles asked, resisting the urge to snap or blush at Rouge's flirtatious banter.

"By plane; same as you," the bat shrugged.

"No, do you have a licence or anything?"

"I'm here on a visa." She rolled her eyes. "You know, this world is really quite bizarre. You never needed a visa back on Mobius. Humans always tend to make things far more complicated than they need to be." She glanced back at Knuckles. "By the way, I see you've picked up a new friend while you were here."

"Yeah, this is Hawk," Knuckles introduced. "I just busted him out of an underground gang last night. Which reminds me… Hawk… You're concerned the Jùlèbù are going to come after you."

Hawk nodded, unsure of where Knuckles was going with this.

"I've been thinking… you might be safer if you come back to America with us."

"You… you really mean it?"

Knuckles smiled. "Yes."

Hawk was overjoyed. In fact, Knuckles did not expect him to envelop him in a tight hug, profusely thanking him.

"He-hey," Knuckles gently said. "Easy there, Hawk."

"I see that a little down time from the big rock on your island has really made you go soft."

"Watch it, Rouge," Knuckles bared his teeth. "I'll have you know I'm rougher than the rest of them!"

"Good to know you still have that sassy echidna attitude I _adore_ ," Rouge smirked. "About that little deal thing you just mentioned…" She strained to hear the sound of approaching police sirens. "I _think_ I can work something out, _just_ as soon as we get out of this predicament."

* * *

 **Hong Kong – Thu December 12; 11:12 AM**

The next day saw Knuckles, Hawk, and Rouge walking down a city street to catch a taxi to the airport. Hawk was pulling a suitcase containing all the belongings he chose to take with him.

Yesterday, the three were confronted by the police following the incident, and Rouge had to do some fast talking to get them out of potential jail time or recompensation. On account of the fact that they were known crime fighters who operated in the US, with Hawk being an accomplice, they were let off the hook.

Afterward, they went to get Hawk a passport, and Knuckles had suggested that Hawk wear a long-sleeved shirt to hide his former affiliation with his old gang.

"You're gonna be leaving everything behind, all you've ever known," Knuckles commented to Hawk. "Are you gonna be okay with that?"

Hawk slowly nodded. "It's a big change," he said, "but I think I will be okay."

"Are you nervous?"

"A little…"

"I gotta say… you're really brave, Hawk," continued Knuckles. "It takes guts to have the kind of determination you have."

"I only want to do what I think is best," Hawk meekly replied.

"And Hawk…" Knuckles took a deep breath. "Thanks… for holding on to the Chaos Emerald for me."

"Do I hear you being sentimental back there, Knuckie?" Rouge called from ahead of them. "'Cause I'm not gonna lie; it's kinda…" She paused, searching for the right word. "…different."

"Just let me be me, okay?!" Knuckles shot back.

"Are you two always like this, or…?"

"Hey, she's a jewel thief who keeps hitting on me just because I tend to let my guard down sometimes," Knuckles answered Hawk's question.

"You're cute when you're embarrassed," teased Rouge. "Anyway, trip's on me, just reminding you."

"Only because you're practically rolling in gems purchased by all those GUN paychecks."

"It's a shame they don't pay me in pretties," Rouge sighed. "But at least I can trade those paychecks for some glamorous diamonds. That is, the ones I can't get at a five-finger discount."

Knuckles felt a familiar warmth coming from within Hammerspace. Curiosity made him stop and pull the glowing Emerald out. The moment he looked into it, he felt himself being taken into a vision.

He saw his home for the first time in well over three months, and the Master Emerald resting upon the altar. He felt a familiar presence from within.

But something was amiss. Last time Knuckles checked, there was only one Master Emerald in all of existence. Yet two of them could be seen on the altar.

 _"The servers are the seven Chaos–"_

"Taxi!" came Hawk's voice, snapping the echidna back to reality. He wasn't ready for that. In fact, he didn't know his visions could be interrupted like that.

"You might want to shake a leg back there; just a thought," Rouge called. Knuckles shook his head and ran to catch up with the others.

A taxi – this time a _real_ one – pulled up at the curb, and the three climbed in. Soon they were on their way to the airport.

As Rouge muttered something about Topaz and a decent cup of coffee, Knuckles was beyond perplexed by his vision. Why on Mobius were there _two_ Master Emeralds? It had to mean something. Maybe it was symbolic.

He couldn't blame Hawk for interrupting it – after all, they were going somewhere today, and Knuckles wasn't exactly expecting to get a vision right there and then. Short as it was, perhaps that was all he was meant to see. Still, he was baffled to no end.

On the bright side, he knew his new friend was bound for the land of the free and the home of the brave. Knuckles vowed to himself that he and his friends who were sent to this planet would do everything in their power to keep it that way.

* * *

 **A/N:** And that wraps up The Adventures of Knuckles and Hawk! This episode wasn't as bad to write as I thought. My only struggles were making Knuckles not too soft, and Rouge not too casual. Other than that, I think I did a good job. Let me know what you think.

I fleshed out the gang from this episode, giving them a purpose, and an identifying mark. I also thought it would be interesting to have Hawk as part of that gang, not just for kicks, but to explain how Knuckles was to find Hawk at Fwan's bar. I'm so glad I used the original name Fwan instead of 4Kids' name Jack.

On that note, why on Earth did 4Kids want to Americanize all the food? Instead of oolong tea and leek buns, they used hamburgers and baked beans? Is it not _obvious_ it's China and not the United States?

Ranting aside, I made the breakout scene more intense, and added more conversation throughout. Also, the last conflict against E-91 took place in the day instead of at night, and I added spectators of the battle, because why wouldn't they be there?

Instead of a lackluster move like Hawk throwing a random bucket of water on E-91, I had her self-destruct by using Chaos Blast, which is far more epic. Last but not least, I completely changed the final scene, and Knuckles' vision. I'd love to hear your speculation on that one.

Before I go, I just put a poll up on my profile page. Which oneshot do you want me to write next: "Wrath of a Hero" or "Frieza Reborn"? See the section "Future Story Ideas" on my profile page for details on these ideas. I will write the one you choose after I finish the next chapter, and the other one after episode 20's rewrite.

The next chapter will be a lot shorter than normal chapter. Instead of a full-length episode rewrite like all the chapters up to this point have been, I am going to rewrite one scene only, since I can't seem to make the rest of the story work. That scene will be the one where Tails chats with Chris and repairs the X-Tornado. I will add some fresh new context around it. In case you're wondering, no, it's not exactly filler; rather, it's semi-filler.

Next time: "The Dam Scam" minus the dam for reasons you'll eventually find out! Don't miss it!


	17. Interlude 1: Safari Chat

**A/N:** Thank you, dear fans and readers, for boosting this story past 30,000 views! Without your support and feedback, this would not have been possible!

I hope everyone's staying safe, sane, and healthy during this virus. It's crazy these days, where everyone can't go outside. I'm not complaining, though; I'm introverted. :)

For some reason, I've noticed a steady increase in Sonic X rewrites since I started writing Chaos on Earth. Among them are "Sonic-X: One-Shot Adventures" by SuperTailsFan0812, "Sonic X: Ayla's Story" by SwanGirl24, "Sonic V" by "RaisingHeartExelion", and most recently, "Sonic Adventures" by Writing Avenger 2016.

I forgot to mention this last chapter, but for whatever reason, when I wrote Li Yan's scenes, I kept improvising Hondo Ohnaka from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, down to the Jim Cummings voice. :P

Anyway, about this chapter. It's very short, and I think of it as oneshot material, but consider it an interlude chapter. I loosely adapted only one scenes, because I could not make the rest of the episode work. I'll explain some of my original ideas for this chapter in the end notes.

Also, this is one of SuperTailsFan0812's favorite episodes, so I wrote this chapter with her in mind. Check out my new favorite story from her, "A Special New Friendship: An Author's Adventure"!

With that being said, let's move on to the reviews and what matters most: the story!

 _ **D.J. Scales**_

 _Well this is a major improvement to the chapter. Nice use of chinese culture in this. That was epic but I kinda expected the Triads when I heard of a chinese gang._

 **I've never been to China, and thus have never heard of the Triads, so that's a new one for me.**

 _ **SuperTailsFan0812**_

 _YEEEEEAAAH! I loved this chapter._

 _I apologise if this review is short._

 _I was expecting this chapter to be released a bit later around 8 in Australia but it was definitely worth the wait._

 _I loved at the beginning, the way when Knuckles and Hawk meet for the first time and was very very heartwarming._

 _I love the whole scene when they go to Hawk's house and was so cool to see that scene_

 _The scenes with Rouge were so good._

 _I can't for the next chapter. Have a happy Easter and please stay safe._

 _-SuperTailsFan0812_

 **It may be short, but it's still longer than most. ;)**

 **It was a challenge to write heartwarming scenes with a touch character like Knuckles, but even though he'd rather flex his muscles, he still has a heart of gold.**

 **I changed up Rouge a bit because I didn't want her to be _too_ selfish and hoard all the Emeralds for herself, thus preventing anyone from returning to Mobius.**

 **I know you'll love this next chapter as much as I did writing it. I actually took inspiration from one of your stories for one part. Can you find it?**

 _ **GuardianDragon98**_

 _This was awesome! Hope you're staying safe and staying healthy during this pandemic!_

 **Thank you! You too! And don't worry about me; my state is ranked 49 out of 50 for most confirmed cases.**

 _ **The Green Seer**_

 _This was a nice 'meanwhile' kind of adventure. Knuckles has always been one of my favorites due to the mountain of lore he is connected to. But, starting from the beginning._

 _I don't remember in detail how the original episode went, but this does feel more fluid and connected. And Hawk has an actual story instead of just being there for the sake of giving Knuckles someone to talk to. I kind of want him to appear in other episodes now, just to get an update of how he's doing in Station Square._

 _The Shovel Claws. I love them, I honestly think they're amazing. When I found out they were basically an upgrade in the game I commended the writers for including them in the show. However, their introduction was confusing in the original and, even if you tried to explain it, it still is confusing. But that is something that I've always let slide. I just wish that Knuckles would use them more often. I'm pretty sure he did later on._

 _Kunoichi sounds way better than Lady Ninja. The first time I read that in your AN I snorted. They could've just called her Ninja. Jeez!_

 _The second part of the fight was pretty sweet and I liked Rouge's involvement. I just like that the characters don't mind working together and actually trust each other. I know that others may be wary of Rouge when it comes to jewels but I like that Knuckles chose to believe in her when they haven't even interacted in the episode yet._

 _Also, really? A bucket of water? I remembered that scene when you brought it up at the end and I had to shake my head. Thank you for making Kunoichi more badass than that._

 _The vision at the end. Yeah, I have nothing. I guess that's for season 2... I'm pretty excited actually._

 _The whole dam/safari episode was pretty meh for me I think. I'm curious to see what you're gonna make of it. By the way, was the haunted castle episode in season 1? Because I loved that one, and it suddenly came to my mind at the end. I can't wait till you write it._

 **Thanks for leaving kudos on the AO3 port of this story! I meant to tell you this last chapter, but I'm a bit of a procrastinator. Knowing me, I'll probably remember something I wanted to say hours after publishing this chapter. :P But after I repost the updated Chapter 13 on AO3, I will update all of the first thirteen FFN chapters accordingly.**

 **I love that the Shovel Claws got to appear in the show, even though I only became a Sonic fan in 2016 and didn't become familiar with Sonic Adventure until shortly afterward. Now I want to incorporate Amy's Warrior Feather somewhere in the story as a decorative accessory.**

 **I knew I had to have a more climactic downfall for the Kunoichi than just a bucket of water. Besides, I'm pretty sure Eggman waterproofs all his robots, and besides, who would just leave a bucket of water lying around.**

 **As for Season 2... you'll find out... #KnowingSmile**

 **And yes, the haunted castle episode is in Season 1; in fact, it's the episode right after this one. I'm pretty excited to write it.**

 _ **kitsune**_

 _nice :3_

 **Thanks!**

 _ **dbehi1**_

 _I think you should use witchcart, speedy, honey, fang and bean and bark, and rocket metal. You should keep up the good work you know? How about doing a arc based off of sonic the fighters or segasonic. Maybe add mighty and ray_

 **I kinda don't want to overdo it with adding additional characters in the story, but I am making plans for a separate story that focuses on Classic Sonic that will incorporate several of those characters. Also, unfortunately, I don;t plan to mane any more game adaptations for Sonic X in addition to those already shown. Sorry about that.**

 _ **Guest**_

 _I love how well written this rewrite is. I practically binge read all the chapters because every word has me wanting more. Please keep up the fantastic work!_

 **Thank you so much! :)**

 _ **Sheng-long**_

 _This was really good! I love this fanfiction! By the way, are you going to add the echidnas, Shard, and the other characters from the Pre-Genesis Wave to the mix? I think the story would be even better with those guys around. I really hope the covid-19 epidemic ends soon. So, good luck everyone! Hope we all survive this global crisis._

 **While a lot of them are canon in my headcanon universe, they will not appear in this story. Besides, I don't want to over do it with the echidnas like Ken Penders did. But I can assure you I can work something out for the Metarex Saga, perhaps.**

 **And don't worry, I'm perfectly safe! I haven't left the house since social distancing began.**

 _ **Franco Almiron**_

 _Man, your story gets better every day!, hey one question: If you have to do a crossover with your story, what would it be, Star Fox, Brand New Animal, Animal Crossing or Persona 5?_

 **Most likely Star Fox, but a crossover with Persona 5 would be epic.**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: Poaching is for eggs, not animals. Though I'm pretty sure the pigs from Angry Birds don't have a problem with that._

* * *

 **Safari Chat**

* * *

 **The Serengeti Safari – Thu December 30; 2:12 PM – Chris' POV**

The alarm blared through the X-Tornado's canopy as Tails skillfully maneuvered the plane to avoid the missile that was pursuing us. I fearfully glanced behind us, seeing the projectile and expecting a deafening explosion at any second.

Now you might be wondering, how did we end up in this situation?

It all started last week on Christmas Day, which, I might add, was by far the best Christmas I ever had. Of course, there were tons of gifts to go around, not to mention eggnog, Ella's fruitcake, and a reluctant Sonic under the mistletoe with Amy. But the absolute best part of it all was that I got to celebrate it with my friends. They unanimously agreed that Christmas was better than Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Grandpa had secretly expanded the range on the X-Tornado's radar as a gift for Tails, and he had become eager to take his plane out to hunt for more Chaos Emeralds. Sonic added they could use it as an opportunity to tour the world, much to our excitement.

However, on the day we were supposed to embark on our journey, Amy and Cream came down with a virus strain that seemed to affect only Mobians for whatever reason. Some of the main symptoms included stuffy and runny noses, fever, sore throats, and mild nausea. Sonic had offered for us to stay home and postpone the trip for their sake, but Amy insisted we go, so that Sonic and Tails wouldn't become sick, and that we wouldn't have to waste time in the search for the Emeralds. It took a lot of back-and-forth negotiating, but Tails finally gave in. He offered to take them on a world tour next as soon as they got well. Last I spoke with them, they were being treated well and would recover within the next week.

When we took off, Tails told me and Sonic that it was going to be a long flight, so we should just relax and enjoy the trip. While I was tired of sitting for long periods of time, I was glad that Tails built parts of the X-Tornado with me in mind. There was even a charging port for my phone.

Today we were in Africa; specifically, the Serengeti region, a rich savannah filled with various wildlife. So far, we had traveled through South America and Europe. The plan was to visit Asia next, but Tails had heard about the savannah, and wanted to check it out firsthand. My geography lessons in school were paying off; I knew the names of several African countries we flew over.

After maybe five hours of flying at top speed over desert and sparsely-populated areas, the terrain gradually changed to that of what I recognized as a savannah. Tails was quiet, and not just because he was concentrating on flying. He kept looking down at the barren ground and acacia trees that dotted the landscape. I wondered what was up.

I was about to ask him about the savannah when I spotted Sonic speeding through the terrain. For all I knew, he was making the resident cheetahs jealous. In a brilliant burst of blue light, he blasted off.

"Shouldn't Sonic be a little more careful?" I asked. "I mean, I don't think Sonic's been to Africa before… that I know of…"

"He knows how to find his way back," Tails assured. "It's almost like he has his own built-in GPS or something. It's pretty uncanny, really."

Just then an alarm sounded through the cockpit, startling me into covering my ears for a second.

"What is it?" I shouted over the alarm. "Are we overheating again?"

Even though the X-Tornado received virtually unlimited power from the Chaos Emerald that powered it, that didn't prevent the engines from overheating. We had to stop in France for a few hours because of this.

"No, it's worse," replied Tails. "Radar's detected an inbound hostile target at 5 o'clock."

"A hostile–" My voice caught in my throat. "You don't think it's…?"

"It's a missile," Tails spoke, voice grim. "Hang on; it's gonna get rough!"

He pulled back on the joystick, and the X-Tornado pulled up sharply. I held my breath as we quickly ascended. My heart was pounding.

Since we found the fourth Chaos Emerald last week, we had been dealing with a few random mild Eggman attacks. Fortunately he spared us on Christmas Day, so he at least had _some_ heart. But this missile had come out of the blue.

Tails banked to the left, then quickly glanced out the window.

"It's still locked on," he announced.

"Wh-Where's Sonic?" I asked, panic involuntarily setting on.

"I don't know!" exclaimed Tails. I think the suddenness of the situation was getting to him as well. "I'm going to try something. Switching engines off now."

"What's that going to do?" I wondered, frantically looking behind us again. It was a little hard to do because of the second canopy situated directly behind us.

Tails smirked confidently, something he seemed to inherit from hanging around with Sonic all the time.

"Without a heat signature coming from the engine, the missile should have nothing to track," he explained. That sounded like a great plan, but there was only one way to see if it worked.

Tails shut off the engines, and the cockpit became eerily silent. Fortunately, Tails still had control of the plane's steering, so he banked to the left once again.

"Can you tell me what the missile's doing?" Tails requested.

When I looked behind us again, I wished I hadn't.

"It's _still_ following us."

"You've _got_ to be kidding…" Tails muttered in disbelief.

"I'm not," I quietly replied.

Tails turned to the right this time, and I kept wondering how Eggman found us all the way out here. There had to be an explanation.

"Still can't shake it!" exclaimed Tails. "Chris, cover your head now!"

The immediate moment after I did so, the entire X-Tornado shook violently as the missile exploded on impact. Because the engine wasn't currently running, it was surprisingly loud and scared me even more than I was already.

My stomach dropped as the plane did, which only added to my already heightened fear. This was exactly why I didn't like going into combat in the X-Tornado. Other than that, I enjoyed flying; the X-Tornado was smoother than most car rides.

It took us nearly a full minute to reach the ground. Tails tried to level us out as best as he could, but there was one problem.

"I can't get the landing gear out!" he shouted. "Brace for impa–"

We hit the ground hard, and I had to put my hands in front of me to avoid hitting my head on the back of Tails' seat. It took us about seven seconds for us to slide to a complete stop.

Neither of us were seriously hurt, but we were left breathing heavily for several moments. I could see some smoke billowing from the back of the plane. It was really scary, but we were still alive. Tails had built the X-Tornado very well.

"Are you okay?" asked Tails.

"What _was_ that?" I shakily asked, closing my eyes to alleviate the dazed feeling I had from plummeting. "Was… that Eggman's missile?"

Tails nodded slowly. "I think Eggman thought he had a good chance at defeating us, even if he's still under the ocean." He unbuckled his seatbelt, and I took that as a cue to do the same. "Attacking us with our guard down was a low blow. I think we should get out and inspect the damage."

Tails pressed the button to open the canopy, and I shielded my eyes from the suddenly bright sunlight. Tails designed the canopy with a special material made to reduce the glare of the sun.

He stood in his seat and turned to face me, ready to lift me down to the ground. I held out my hands to him, and he took my wrists in his own hands before spinning his namesakes and lifting us both into the air. To this day, I was still amazed at how strong he was despite his size.

Seconds later, Tails set me down on the grassy terrain and landed next to me. We could clearly see the extent of the damage the missile had done.

"It looks like the upper right wing snapped off," surveyed Tails. "I think it landed somewhere back there. We can find it later."

"And the right booster," I added. "It sounds like it'll take a while before we can fly again."

"I'll try to fix it with what I have on me now," Tails promised. "But first, though, I wanna see if it can still use its X-Cyclone transformation."

"Oh yeah, I forgot it can walk," I said. I couldn't remember the last time we needed to use that mode. While some of the places we landed at during our travels of late were a little tight, Tails was still able to land us in its normal mode.

Tails quickly flew back up to the cockpit and climbed in. He had not yet closed the canopy after we got out, probably because he anticipated needing to head back in for something. He removed the cyan Chaos Emerald from its slot (I got to pick the color before we left).

"Here, catch," he called, before underhandedly tossing the Emerald down to me. I caught it, but almost didn't because of the glare of the sun.

"I thought you said you needed an Emerald to run the X-Tornado," I said, voicing my confusion.

"Normally, yes," Tails replied, bucking his seat belt, "but Grandpa and I recently installed a few capacitors that can store excess Chaos energy, so it can operate without a Chaos Emerald for a limited time."

"I like that idea; that's pretty smart of you," I complimented. Tails chuckled softly, blushing a little.

"Okay, stand back; I'm going to start the engines," he cautioned as he closed the hatch.

I ran back about a hundred feet, stopping as the engines roared to life. However, they made a harsh grinding noise, which definitely wasn't normal. I watched as the boosters rotated to form the plane's legs. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, except for the part where the right leg locked up and snapped off, sending the entire X-Cyclone tipping over and falling into its right side with an uncomfortably loud crunch. I immediately ran over as Tails shut off the motor, hoping he wasn't hurt. The plane did come down pretty hard.

"Are you okay?!" I exclaimed the moment he opened the canopy. Tails flashed me a thumbs-up as a response.

"Just… a little shaken," he answered, reaching to unfasten his seatbelt. "I guess the damage was worse than I thought. Can you help me out, please?"

I took Tails' hand, and helped him out of his seat and into the open air. Smoke was still emitting from the damaged engine, and I hoped there wouldn't be an explosion or fire.

Tails walked over to a compartment built into the side of the plane and opened it. He rolled out a dolly and tool kit to work with. I had known about this compartment since the plane was built, and frankly, it was quite handy for moments like this.

"It might take awhile for me to finish fixing the plane," Tails said as he slipped his work goggles on, "so… try not to wander too far from here, okay?"

All was silent afterward, except for the sound of Tails at work, using various tools such as a portable water level, wrenches, and a welding torch. I looked around the savannah we were in. There was no sign of wildlife in the immediate area, not that I expected to see any.

"It's really quiet around here," I remarked.

"Yeah," agreed Tails. Aside from Tails working, I could only hear the slight breeze through the grass and the acacia tree located not far from us.

I removed my phone from my jeans pocket to check the time. After a moment of squinting at the digital numbers, I realized it was pointless; I would have to manually adjust the time zone, and I wasn't familiar with any of the other time zones outside of the United States.

"I'm not getting any Internet out here, or phone signal," I mused aloud. Once again, I wasn't expecting it.

"That kinda reminds me," spoke Tails once he shut off his welding torch. His voice dropped, as if he was nervous at what he was going to say. "I was thinking about maybe installing a custom router into the X-Tornado just for you and your friends. I know how much you and your friends like flying with us, and using your phones, so…"

"That sounds great; thank you!" I replied. Tails chuckled.

"That's what friends are for, right?" he smiled.

Another moment of silence passed as I soaked in the scenery. It was intriguing how a landscape like the savannah could be so sparse and yet have grass and trees spread across it. It was warm outside, but it wasn't as hot as I thought it would be.

It was Tails' turn to break the silence next.

"So… how do you like the savannah?"

"I… do like it," I responded, totally not expecting that question. "It's kinda almost like… like time is moving slower here than in Station Square… you know…?"

"Yeah…" Tails said in a hushed tone. "I know exactly what you mean. It feels… familiar, in a way, I guess, not to mention comforting in a strange way. It's almost like being back home on Mobius." He sighed contentedly. "My old home on Westside Island was kind of like here, actually."

"Westside Island… Was that where you lived before you met Sonic?" I was intrigued to hear Tails' backstory.

"Mhm," replied Tails as he tightened another bolt.

I thought back to about a month ago, when Tails told me and my family about what his life was like before Sonic. For the most part, he lived alone on an island. He had parents, but they had vanished when he was very young, and Tails was never able to find out what had happened to them. On the bright side, he did manage to get along pretty well by himself.

Unfortunately, as a result of having two tails, he was subject to bullying. I took it this birth defect wasn't common among Mobians, but Tails had risen above it ever since he discovered he could use his tails to fly.

Then one day, Sonic visited his island. Tails became fascinated by Sonic and his speed, and how cool he was, and wanted to catch up to him. They later became great friends, Tails dabbled in mechanics, and the rest was history.

While Tails and his friends had visited other planets, such as one inhabited by beings called Wisps, he would never have thought that his adventures would take him to another dimension entirely. I now began to sympathize for him.

"Do you miss your home?" I asked, breaking the silence once more. "Mobius, I mean."

"Yeah…" Tails spoke. "But I have to be honest with you, Station Square has really grown on me. Back home, my Station Square was destroyed by a monster, so… it feels kinda strange to be in a city with that same name again." He sat up on the dolly he had been lying on. "In any case, I've been entertaining the idea of maybe starting a business in town. Perhaps I could repair other people's vehicles for them." He picked up a bottle of water he had brought with him. "It's just an idea, though," he said as he took a drink of the liquid.

"It's a very good idea," I commented.

Tails screwed the cap back onto the bottle and turned to face me. "What about you?"

"What do I want to be when I grew up?" I queried for clarification.

Tails nodded. "Yeah."

"Well… I always wanted to be an inventor, and work with electronics and machines like my dad and Grandpa…"

Tails' ears twitched as he perked up; I had his attention for sure.

"…but after I met you guys, I was thinking of maybe being a zoologist."

That came out wrong. That made me sound like one of the Area 99 guys from when they first got here.

"Please don't take it the wrong way," I amended. Tails laughed.

"I knew what you were trying to say," he said. "And hey, zoology isn't a bad job. But are you sure you don't want to still be an inventor like your grandpa?"

"Well… it's just an idea. I don't know anything about zoology and studying animals, though…"

"There's a first time for everything, right?" Tails smiled. I had to admit, he was turning that into a catchphrase, and it was cute.

Speaking of animals, there didn't seem to be any sign of wildlife anywhere. No lions, or zebras, or rhinos. Perhaps they were elsewhere. I had hoped to see some while we were here. Maybe I would be lucky.

Now I was getting bored. I turned back to Tails, who was still working on the X-Tornado. Maybe I could make myself useful somehow.

"Do you need any help?" I asked.

"I'll be okay on my own, thanks," Tails replied sweetly. "It's mostly a one-person job from here on out anyway."

"All right," I said, not even bothering to hold back the yawn that had been rising up in me. Tails took note of this.

"It's gonna be a while before I can get this thing fixed, so maybe you could take a nap or something while you wait," he recommended.

"Sounds like a good idea," I said quietly. I didn't really feel like going on my phone now anyway, not to mention I was pretty tired.

I walked over to the nearby acacia tree about a hundred feet away. Already the leaves of the tree provided some well-needed shade and coolness. I sat down on the ground and leaned against its trunk.

The sun was directly overhead, which made it quite glary, so I shifted into a more comfortable position. In minutes, I drifted off to sleep…

* * *

 _I awoke in total darkness. I could see myself, but I literally couldn't see anything else in the pitch blackness. I had nyctophobia; that is, fear of the dark. The dark always made me feel like I was alone. Yet here I didn't seem to be afraid._

 _I slowly sat up and looked around. Of course it was to no avail; there was nothing to see, not even the tree I had apparently been leaning against._

 _To my surprise, the Chaos Emerald began to levitate out of my hand. I had forgotten I was holding on to it. It was the only other object I could see in this surreal void._

"The servers are the seven Chaos…"

 _The soft female voice made me jump. It came from seemingly everywhere at the same time. I looked around for the source of the voice, but couldn't see anything in the darkness, aside from myself and the Chaos Emerald which was now moving in a counterclockwise circle._

 _Then the voice continued:_

"Chaos is power…"

 _I looked up just in time to see the other six Chaos Emeralds appear with the cyan one I had been holding. All seven formed a circle high in the air about a hundred yards away. All were rotating in a circle._

"Power enriched by the heart…"

 _A giant green Emerald materialized in the middle of the circle the Chaos Emeralds were forming. It was huge, probably bigger than me. I had never seen anything like it before in my life._

"The controller serves to unify the Chaos…"

 _Then the scenery came into view. Fortunately I did not have to squint at the bright sunlight that suddenly flooded the area._

 _Gone was the eternal blackness around me. Now I found myself in the middle of a clearing of a lush green forest. Before me lay a giant stone shrine, with the giant Emerald resting at the top. The seven Chaos Emeralds continued to orbit the large gem._

 _Now I became very confused at what was going on. Where was I? What was I doing here?_

 _The stone steps leading up to the altar appeared to be sacred, so it was only natural that I debated climbing them. Seeing as there was no sign of anything that could potentially stop me, I shrugged and started scaling the steps. Even for a non-Mobian such as myself, they were surprisingly steep and short – nothing like the double staircase back home._

"As of late, the servers are without their controller," _the voice continued._ "Their power is unbridled and rampant."

 _As I mounted the steps, so did my ever-growing confusion. Who was speaking, and what was she talking about? Whatever it was, it had to be important. I needed to listen._

"Two exist where one should, and a powerful new evil looms beyond the horizon."

 _My legs were burning by the time I finally reached the top. To put it short, I was awed by the sight of the giant Emerald up close. It was just a little taller than I was, and equally as wide, not to mention I didn't see a single imperfection on its glassy green surface._

"Gaze within, young one," _the voice beckoned. That was the first time she addressed me personally._

 _Before I knew it, I was staring into the Emerald, or rather,_ through _it. I was looking at various images that flashed by, almost too fast for me to comprehend. The ones I was able to keep track of surprised me. In fact, my head started to hurt as I watched the images._

 _The scenes that I saw included a laughing Eggman; a hedgehog that vaguely looked like Sonic, but was colored a radiantly bright yellow, and had its quills standing on end; me crying profusely in front of a giant portal that was set up in a street; and, most frighteningly, what looked like a scary roboticized version of me._

 _The last thing the voice told me stuck with me._

"Beware of your perception; it leads to deception."

 _The last image the Emerald showed me was a familiar two-tailed fox urgently running toward me as fast as his little legs could carry him._

"…wake up! Chris, wake up!"

* * *

My eyes snapped open, and while I was readjusting to my surroundings, the first thing I saw was Tails looking down at me in concern.

"Are you okay?" he asked with an undertone of urgency.

"Yeah, why?" I asked.

"The Emerald was glowing in your hand while you were sleeping," Tails pointed out. I glanced down at my hand, and, to my surprise, the Chaos Emerald was still there.

"But… I thought it floated out of my hand…" I mused. Tails shook his head, now becoming more curious.

"Were you dreaming about anything?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said, thinking back to what I saw. "It was a really strange dream… something about chaos and servers, I think…?"

I did not expect Tails to widen his eyes in recognition.

"That's the prayer of the echidna tribe!" he exclaimed. "Chris, see if you can remember any more of the dream. This sounds like it's really important!"

"I saw some strange images inside of a giant Chaos Emerald," I recalled. "They were going by too fast for me to see what a lot of them were, but I think I saw Eggman laughing… someone who looked like Sonic, but he was yellow… me crying in front of a portal of some sort… and… and I think the last one was me as a robot. It looked like one Eggman would build."

Tails nodded in understanding.

"And the last part I remember clearly… I heard a woman's voice telling me to 'beware of my perception; it leads to deception'."

Tails seemed to be almost as confused as I was. I was hoping he knew something about what all that meant.

"I think this is a first," Tails remarked in awe, his baby blue eyes shining in interest.

This only succeeded in adding to my confusion. "What is?"

"I don't think anyone's ever gotten a dream like that before," he clarified. "Visions, yes, but never dreams. Maybe it was because you were holding the Chaos Emerald at the time."

"But do you know what it could mean?" I asked, shifting into a more comfortable position against the tree. Tails thought for a moment, his tails swaying slowly as the gears in his mind turned.

"Maybe you were shown a possible future…?" he said with some uncertainty as he ran his hand through his bangs. "I mean, it's kind of a stretch, but the portal part sounds like we would have to go home eventually."

I frowned at this. Did that dream set in stone the inevitable time that they would leave…?

"L-Like I said, it's only a possible future," Tails amended, hoping that would ease my momentary depression. "As for the whole perception bit, I've got nothing. Sorry…"

"Well, maybe we'll find out eventually," I said with hope.

Tails smiled. "Maybe we will."

Just then Sonic skidded to a stop a few feet from where Tails was standing.

"Aaaand I'm back!" he declared. "I was just juicin' around the place, gettin' a feel of the land. Gotta say, Africa's a pretty way past cool place."

His emerald eyes darted from the partially damaged X-Tornado to the Chaos Emerald in my hand.

"Whoa, what'd I miss…?" he remarked.

"We were shot down by a lone missile," Tails related. "Based on its advanced movements and precise tracking capabilities, it has to have been Eggman's."

"So he tried to shoot you down while we were on vacation?" Sonic summarized. "That's uncool, not to mention cowardly. B'sides, isn't he still in the water or something?"

"He probably used a long-range amphibious missile or something," speculated Tails. "Also, there's something else…" He walked closer to his brother and dropped his voice. "Chris dreamt he was looking into the Master Emerald."

"Really…?" Sonic voiced his intrigue, before turning to me. "Can you tell me what you saw?"

I repeated my dream to Sonic, and Tails helped out with the parts I couldn't remember. Sonic closed his eyes, mulling this information over in his supersonic mind. Unfortunately, for the most part, he wasn't able to share any more insight than Tails did. He promised that he and his friends would do everything they could to make sure I didn't get roboticized.

Although, there was one thing he was able to offer.

"Last part sounds to me like not everything is what it seems," Sonic spoke. "Maybe there's something down the road that looks dark and gloomy, like maybe a storm, but the storm eventually passes and we get blue skies once again. You know what I'm saying?"

"I haven't thought of it that way, Sonic," Tails commented. "Still, we should be ready for anything, just in case."

Extending a hand to me, he asked, "Ready to go, Chris?"

I let him help me to my feet, and handed the Chaos Emerald back to him.

"Did you finish the repairs already?" I asked.

"Yup!" Tails replied enthusiastically. "At least, to the best of my ability for now. I'll take another look at it when we get home. For now, we're going to use the X-Cyclone transformation to look for the broken wing tip and fix that."

"I wonder if Eggman thinks he has us beat," pondered Sonic. "Well, now that he's on an unofficial cooldown, I don't think we should run into any more trouble for the rest of this adventure. And if we do, we'll be ready, right, Tails?"

"You got it, Sonic!" agreed Tails as they shared a fist bump.

"Now let's do it to it!" Sonic fist-pumped. "This world's not gonna explore itself!"

"There are still a lot of places I've never been to," I remarked as we headed back to the plane. "But there's always a first time for everything."

Tails chuckled. "That's right!"

After Tails lifted me back into my seat, we were soon back on the trail. As the cockpit gently moved up and down with each step of the transformed plane, my thoughts drifted back to the dream. While Sonic's words were comforting, I couldn't help but think that the root of it all seemed dark and unsettling…

* * *

 **A/N:** And that concludes "The Dam Scam", although there is no dam, or scam thereof! Even though it was short, I hope you enjoyed it, because I really had a great time writing it.

When seeing the original episode, I was a little disappointed that Chris didn't get to sheep, not to mention Tails was a little too fast in repairing the plane, so I wanted to have Chris sleep. That was when I realized I could give him a dream as well, so that's where the dream in this chapter came from. Let the speculation fly!

And now, for the original episode ideas, back when the original idea was to rewrite the whole episode. The two men, Sergei and Boris, were building a dam in the original episode, but they wanted to light the entire forest on fire so that there could eventually be a flood so that the people could beg them to finish the dam. That's a stupid plan in my book. I planned to change it so that they were building a trading center for animal poachers. But it just goes to show that this episode was completely filler.

Also, I didn't get far enough to rename E-65 Gorru-Gaooh (that's not what a monkey sounds like, lol). There was no explanation as to why Eggman was even there, and how he left the ocean. If he was clearly shot down and landed in a lake, how did he end up back under the ocean, where his circuits shorted out? He never had that problem back in episode 16!

Also, the original title for this chapter was "Chris' Dream", but it was a little too obvious as to what it would be about.

The next episode may be filler, but I wanted to include it anyway, because I wanted to explore more relationships in the circle of Sonic's friends.

Next time is "Sonic's Scream Test", where Chris and Amy try to free their friends from ghosts! Don't miss it!


	18. Under the Moon

**A/N:** First off, I'm so sorry this chapter took so long! Despite it being a filler, it's a highly-anticipated chapter, and I needed some extra time to get it just right, so thank you for being patient and bearing with me. Plus, the fact that my Internet has been terrible lately isn't helping.

I've just started watching My Hero Academia, and I have to say, it is awesome. It's definitely worth a watch if you have Crunchyroll. I would love for there to be a new Sonic anime with the high quality of My Hero Academia.

I've got a new favorite story: "Recursion Error" by Writer's Domino, which is set in the Pre-Super Genesis Wave comics. See what happens when a teen from Earth is quite literally pulled into a war against his will!

I'm closing the poll at the time of publishing. "Wrath of a Hero" won over "Frieza Reborn", so I'm going to write that before working on the next chapter. Or maybe I'll do both at the same time, I don't know. I'll work on "Frieza Reborn" after I finish the episode 26 rewrite.

I've finally managed to write a long chapter! The story alone totals over 18,000 words (a little under that amount, since FFN decides to label contractions as two separate words). And this chapter, before any of the previous ones are edited, is now the third-longest one I've made, behind only chapters 3 and 8.

Since this chapter is a scary one, I took measures to make the flow and wording equally creepy. You may even get a chill down your spine reading this! :P

But seriously, I'm issuing a **WARNING** for a brief violent scene toward the end of the chapter. I'll explain more about it in the ending notes.

I'm amazed at all the attention this story has been getting in just the last month alone! As of this writing, the previous chapter has 228 visitors. In comparison, the first chapter has 552 visitors, and no other chapter has more than 90 visitors. Thanks for checking it out!

I would like to thank TrimusicaDrag00n90, Ieju, _RevTrickshot_ , _Thesonicsuperstar_ , _Lilytigerlover_ , _pintobean1_ , _AnimeOtakuErin_ , _True Master_ , _jozs001_ , _FireFistPump_ , Triforce Dragons, _theIrishWriter_ , and _slejr.35_ for their support of this story! Additionally, I would like to give a huge thank you to **Leodragon678** for favoriting me! Check out his works if you can!

Without further ado, let's jump into the reviews and what matters most: the story!

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 _ **kitsune**_

 _Perfect !_

 **Thank you kindly! :)**

 _ **SuperTailsFan0812  
**_ _(repost truncated due to review length)_

 **What can I say? Interludes tend to be short chapters. :) There will probably be two or three more of them during the course of this story.**

 **I too love long reviews, but due to the fact that I received _fourteen_ of them after the last chapter, I had to avoid reposting a couple of them due to their length. If only FFN had a "jump to story" option like AO3 does, so that other people might not get turned off by my review replying...**

 **Actually, I based the illness that Amy and Cream had on the Mobian Flu from your stories, albeit much less severe than what Tails had. It's probably to make up for the fact that in my headcanon, Mobians are immune to the common cold.**

 **I chose to rewrite this episode solely for the conversation that Tails and Chris had. In fact, I found it to be the only salvageable thing from the episode, as from a writer's standpoint, the rest of it didn't make sense. I'm glad I came up with a great explanation as to how they ended up in their situation.**

 **I'm so glad you enjoyed it. In fact, I made it especially with you in mind, as I knew it was one of your favorite episodes. So thanks again for the feedback!**

 **You can definitely expect more Tails and Chris scenes in the future. I don't know if I can always be able to add them, but if the episode calls for it, I'll see what I can do. ;)**

 _ **GuardianDragon98**_

 _Hmmm... I'm intrigued. It seems that coming into contact with the Chaos Emeralds has given Chris the ability to have visions. We see Sonic in his Super Form and the portal back to Mobius. But that Metal Chris is new and could be a cause for alarm. And that voice warning Chris... could it have been Tikal?_

 _So many questions... But, anyway, great chapter :)_

 **The only reason Chris had a vision was because he had fallen asleep with a Chaos Emerald in his hand. Regardless, I still thought it would be fun to add that in, even if I already had a Chaos Emerald vision in the previous chapter.**

 **So what is the interpretation of the dream? Only time will tell...**

 _ **Animation Adventures**_  
 _(chapter 16 [episode 17]; repost truncated due to review length)_

 **I found Hawk to be quite a static character in the original episode, so I thought having him be part of the original gang would flesh him out a little bit. My only regret for that chapter is not having him talk about food enough, but I can always go back and touch up that chapter, plus he's going to appear again in the tournament arc, right?**

 **I reused the name Kunoichi from the Japanese version, because Lady Ninja just won't cut it. Besides, Kunoichi basically means 'female ninja'. I didn't explain it, as Knuckles and Rouge wouldn't find out about it, but I imagine Eggman found out how to harness small amounts of Chaos energy within a module implemented into the robot, with just enough power to initiate Chaos Blast or Chaps Control - kind of like E-51 from episode 6.**

 **This isn't the only time Rouge shows up without explanation. She does it all the time in scenes she shares with the President or even Knuckles. Regardless, they all need some explanation or another.**

 **Only time will tell what Tikal's vision could mean...**

 _ **Animation Adventures**_  
 _(chapter 17 [episode 18]; repost truncated due to review length)_

 **I chose to have Eggman launch a long-range attack because it wouldn't make sense to have him present in the episode. Otherwise, he would have been shot down and landed in a swamp, and then ended up back in the ocean still unable to start his engines.**

 **I wanted to include the flashbacks, I really did. But I would have to interrupt a good part of the story flow to do so, and I figured that if Tails had been living with the Thorndykes for seven or so months, surely he would have already told everyone of how he met Sonic.**

 **I really like your speculations on the dream. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the gang will get any easy answers any time soon. They'll just have to battle Eggman, get the seven Emeralds, and see what happens next.**

 **Unfortunately, I will not be adapting Little Chao Lost in this story, mostly because it's a filler that doesn't seem to merit its own chapter here. Plus, I don't think it would be logical to have a Chao colony existing on earth before Sonic's arrival. I also won't be adapting Fast Friends here either. But I _can_ , however, create a separate story of one-shots where I can adapt these episodes in a collection of moments from Sonic X that take place between episodes or something. That's also where I could add the part where Tails tells the others of his past. I just need to motivate myself to do something like that.**

 _ **Guest**_

 _Will Chris's friends tag along for the Metarex Saga? (Since it could make things interesting)_

 **I agree, it would definitely make things interesting. But I'm going to say now that they are not going to appear in the Metarex Saga. I'm toying with the idea of writing a story in which Danny, Frances, and Helen do end up on Sonic's world. I wouldn't know where to go with it from there.**

 _ **thor94chapter**_

 _interesting dream, liked to see chris lhave a link to the emeralds, ask how knuckles will react about that._

 **I wouldn't exactly say Chris has a link to the Emeralds, as he isn't Chaos sensitive like Sonic or Knuckles. As to Knuckles' reaction, he would have to tell Knuckles first.**

 _ **Angeloflight324**_

 _I love your story, probably the best sonic fanfic there is. Keep up the good work._

 **Thank you so much! :D**

 _ **Iejuchapter**_

 _This is great. Also, it seems that we got a little bit of Super Sonic there, eh? Also, I can't wait for SST. It gives me FNaF (and perhaps ) vibes, tho! Anyway, the story is great so, keep it up. As for Safari, I honestly didn't know what I was expecting._

 **It took me a little bit to decipher SST as Sonic's Scream Test. I honestly had a blast writing this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it.**

 _ **The Green Seer**_

 _So sorry, I forgot to come back after reading. Well, to be fair, not much to say about this episode. I think I made my opinion known._

 _The vision was interesting. I read some other reviews when I checked to see if I left one and the message had some interesting interpretations. I'm not one to throw theories until I have all the pieces and I know the ending... BUT! I want to see how the story will develop. I'm not gonna think too much about it and just go with the flow._

 _I like how the emeralds are important from a mystic point of view and give people visions to tell them that SOMETHING'S WRONG! It gives more credence to their importance and history._

 _And yes! Ghosts, here we go! Amy and Chris gotta step up big time!_

 **Even though it might not be official canon that the Emeralds could give ordinary people dreams, especially humans, I thought it might be interesting to add. It definitely makes them more mystical.**

 **Stick around through the end of the season, and something interesting might happen around then...**

 _ **Lilytigerlover  
**_ _(chapter 6)_

 _My guess with the math questions is that Y 10 and N 2. Also love the rewrited story so far! If you need any ideas for the Shadow Saga why not use or throw in Metal Sonic into the scene? You could even do a public battle so people of that world find out about Sonic's Metal copy! Anyways Love the story and I cannot wait for more._

 **Sorry to say, but you are incorrect on the first one. Y = 8, but great try, though!**

 **The Shadow Saga will indeed be quite a bit different from the original, but I think I might be over the hump of difficulty now. The hardest part is the last episode, Showdown in Space, but I think I have something working for it as well.** **I still like your ideas, though!**

 _ **D.J. Scales**_

 _Nice episode filler even though it does deviate from the main plot it does make total sense in this chapter. It's relaxing and straight to the point but how much longer till the Ancient Arkeyan Weapon Masters arrive or Eggman returns to fix his ship because there is no way that he'd leave his Egg Fort vulnerable._

 **I included this episode in the story because it was one of the actual episodes, though I heavily cut back on it because a lot of it didn't make sense.**

 **To answer your questions:**

 **One: The Arkeyan Weapon Masters will not appear because they are from your headcanon, drawing inspiration from Skylanders, and this story will not cross over with any other franchises. Two: Eggman never left his ship since he was shot down.**

 _ **Franco Almiron**_

 _Huge fan of your story, so i want to know if you ever made a crossover story which one would be: Sonic the Hedgehog and Brand New Animal, Persona 5 and Beastars or Animal Crossing and Aggretsuko?_

 **I've never heard of Brand New Animal, Beastars, or Aggretsuko; but if I had to choose, it would be Sonic and Brand New Animal. I mean, I'm familiar with Animal Crossing, but I'm not really invested enough to write a decent fanfiction of it, and Persona 5 I know about through memes.**

 _ **snake screamer**_

 _Good test, ah yes boo. I hope you bring up the fact they exist in Sonic world too (And their just as creepy as hell)._

 _PS send you a pic featuring ninja._

 **I can tell you that yes, there will be an explanation in this chapter.**

 **I saw the picture, and I found it interesting that they listed Heavy Shinobi as being its own clan. I was even more intrigued at E-91's inclusion and its green color scheme.**

 _ **Triforce Dragons**_

 _This was something great to read! I love the fact everything is different and I'm not going to read it until you update a couple more chapters. Who is your favorite character? The top ones for me are Silver, Shadow, Tails, and Sonic. Speaking of which, is Silver gonna appear? I know Shadow is, how I don't know, but Silver would be great. He's younger then Sonic, kinda immature at times, but I think he's a rival to Sonic but looks up to Sonic as well. Sorry for going off on a ramble, but I love Sonic and I can't wait to read more._

 **I do plan on going back and revising the earliest chapters, which I will do after I finish writing the first season, which should be finished... say late October-ish.**

 **My favorite character? I can easily relate to Chris, but my top favorites are Sonic, Tails, Amy, Cream, and Knuckles in that order. I'll also say Eggman's a lot of fun to read and write for.**

 **Will Silver appear? Probably not in _this_ story. He may have a chance of showing up somewhere in the Metarex Saga, but we'll see.**

* * *

 _Disclaimer: 2 spoopy 4 u? TOO BAD, WALUIGI TIME._

* * *

 **Under the Moon**

* * *

 **Blair Castle, England – Sat March 12; 12:23 PM – Chris' POV**

"Cut! That's a wrap!" Director Tim Shaw announced as the scene concluded. "Let's get the next scene ready."

He turned to the two lead actors who stepped off the set as the stagehands prepared the next scene.

"Listen, this next scene is where the emotion comes in," the director told them. "Lindsey, you've been doing an excellent job so far. Just remember to focus on your emotions, and don't try to fake it with mere facial facades, yeah?"

To the other lead actor, Aaron Harding, he said, "Same goes with you, Aaron. Don't exaggerate any more than you did during rehearsal."

My friends and Ella and I had flown all the way out to England to see Mom at work filming her latest movie _Valencia_ , a Victorian steampunk romance movie. It was an odd blend of genres, but Ella said the writers were confident they could make it work.

It was a good thing the private plane we had flown in had touch screens, as Sonic would have been bored out of his ever-loving mind otherwise. He kind of already was to begin with, since he couldn't really run across the entire ocean in one go. Other than that, he was pretty chill.

We had Ella to thank for the idea of this trip. I had been getting straight A's in school, and not because Tails occasionally stopped by to help out with the more difficult parts of my homework. But anyway, Ella had surprised us by taking me and my friends out to England to watch Mom film (Of course, Ella made sure to tell her first).

My friends were all formally introduced to her. She had really wanted to eventually meet them, having frequently seen them in the news. Cream had apologized on behalf of the fact that Mom didn't get to see Matt and stay for the party, despite Amy priorly cautioning her not to bring it up. Nevertheless, Mom said it was fine; she was sure she would see him again sometime soon.

The movie was partially being shot on location at Blair Castle, and we got to learn a bunch about its history. Mom told us it dated back to the twelfth century, and survived a few historic battles. It had since become a well-frequented tourist location.

Now, all of us (except Mom) were sitting on a set of stone steps nearby, watching the stagehands move the cameras, boom mics, and lights. My thoughts drifted to Sonic. Knowing him, he was probably exploring around inside the castle or something. He always loved to check out new places.

The director's call of "Places, everyone!" rang across the filming location, and Mom and Aaron took their places. As cliche as he made it sound, the director initiated the next next take with "Lights… camera… action!"

Mom, who was dressed in a beautiful flowing gown that would not look out of place in Victorian England, approached Aaron. Already her emotion set on, and it was like she suddenly became another person entirely. It was quite fascinating to watch in person.

"Y-You're just going to leave me?" she exclaimed.

Aaron paused in his steps to look at her. He was dressed in a navy blue Victorian suit with steampunk highlights.

"I must," he stated.

"But… you can't leave!" she begged, taking another step toward her character's lover. "Please… at least take me with you! We have a future together, I know it! Without you, I am nothing!"

Aaron sighed, gazing skyward. "You know I am a loner by nature," he said. "Don't get me wrong, I love you dearly… but time is running out for me. Where I go, you cannot follow." He turned away for her, and started walking forward. "And now… I must bid you adieu."

Lindsey watched as Aaron continued walking forward. I was told that after editing, it would look like Aaron uses a teleporter to vanish, hence the green screens set up.

Once Aaron had walked far enough, Lindsey broke down, falling to her knees and burying her face in her hands. I didn't know all the details of the plot, even though Mom told me the gist of it, but even if I did, I could be trusted to keep a secret.

"Cut!" the satisfied director announced. "Print it!"

Now that the cameras were no longer rolling, we could speak freely.

"Your mom is an _amazing_ actress, Chris," Amy complimented. She beamed. "You know that, right?"

I smiled too. "I'm glad she's my mom," I replied. Indeed I was; she was perhaps the best actress I knew.

"Y'know, it's kinda cool to go behind the scenes in movie making," Tails said. "You can end up seeing a lot of stuff you wouldn't normally see in the actual movie."

"All right!" the director called, getting our attention. "We'll take a one-hour break for lunch, then resume filming."

With the break in effect, the actors and stagehands were free to disperse. Mom joined us a minute later as we got up to head to the lunch tables that were set up in a nearby field.

"Are you all having a good time?" she asked us, to which we all said we were.

Mom squinted as she scanned our group.

"Um, isn't there supposed to be one more of you, and a small blue pet?" she asked. I didn't think she knew that Cheese wasn't regarded as a pet by Mobians. Tails was right to have once said that "humans are way too quick to jump to conclusions".

"Oh dear; Cream is not with us," Ella remarked.

Oh no. How did I not think to check if Cream was by our side? As young and curious as she was, she had been pretty good lately about not wandering off on her own. Last time she did that, she had almost gotten herself lost in the mall last month.

"I hope they didn't get in the shot!" I blurted.

"I'll go look for her," Tails announced. He took off back the way he came, and Amy joined him. I decided to follow too; this was a full-team effort. Meanwhile, Mom and Ella began to catch up on life. I knew our maid had an awful lot to relate on our part.

We called for Cream and Cheese, hoping they would hear us and come bounding over. But I got distracted when I heard someone else say the small rabbit's name.

It was the director and one of the cameramen, who were reviewing the footage they had just shot. My stomach sank. A shot in a 60 million-dollar major motion picture had just been photobombed by aliens.

"…yeah, I can just edit them out in post," the cameraman said.

"I just got an idea," Director Shaw said. "Do that, but maybe we should also keep the original cut as a bonus feature for DVD and Blu-ray."

That was relief. The film could still be salvaged. However, that didn't change the fact that I was still disappointed that Cream went off by herself.

"You shouldn't wander off like that, okay, Cream?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Tails. I just wanted to see them better."

I turned to see Tails holding a crestfallen Cream's hand and leading her back to the others. Cheese flitted beside them.

I quickly moved to Tails' side. "She got in the shot," I quietly told him, trying not to let Cream hear, "but they can digitally edit her out."

"That's good," the fox commented. "Now they don't have to reshoot that scene."

Amy soon rejoined us, and Tails told her that they found Cream and Cheese. But I hung back, distracted by the stagehands not far from me. They were discussing an object that seemed to be obstructing the next scene. The object in question was an hourglass-shaped stone resting atop a pedestal.

One of the stagehands lifted the stone, which looked heavy from my perspective, and set it down on the ground. He then tried to move the pedestal, but it wouldn't budge, even with three men simultaneously pushing from one end.

"Don't worry about it," the director called. "We can just shoot it at a different angle."

"Chris! Are you coming?" called Tails.

"Y-yeah, sorry!" I responded as I made my way back toward the others. My stomach rumbled. There was something about watching steampunk lovers that worked up an appetite.

* * *

 **Blair Castle – Sat March 12, 12:30 PM – Sonic's POV**

It was good to be able to finally stretch my legs after traveling in planes or waiting around in airports for just over sixteen hours. If it weren't for the Atlantic, I would have raced here and back thousands of times over.

During the flight, I had felt my claustrophobia start to kick in. I had it for as long as I could remember, and imprisonment during the war did nothing to help. In fact, Chris voiced his concern, and Amy had to chastise me, saying it would only be a few more hours. Waiting was never my expertise.

After we landed, we had to go through this thing called customs, which wasn't a thing back on Mobius. Humans always had a way of complicating things beyond necessity, even the humans back home.

But now that we made it to jolly old England, I could finally have a great run of the place. It was quite a bit different from the United States, yet in a way, it felt similar. It had a bunch of villages and rolling hills. I got to try these pastries called scones; they were actually pretty tasty.

Filming was now in session, and Chris had expressed a strong desire for us Mobians to stay out of the way of the filming, so I decided to check out the inside of the castle we were at. Apparently it was more than eight hundred years old, and the weathered stonework and various thick cobwebs everywhere proved it. It kind of reminded me of some mondo creepy places I went to, such as Hang Castle and Mystic Mansion. I shuddered at the thought.

I sneezed as a chill ran down my spine. Something was wrong. A sinking feeling was forming in the pit of my stomach. I had to find out what was amiss in this castle.

* * *

 **Blair Castle – Sat March 12; 10:42 PM – Chris' POV**

After a long day, we were getting settled into our rooms inside the castle. My friends, Ella, and I chose to head to bed now while Mom and the film crew wrapped up shooting for the night.

We learned that the inside of the castle had been refurbished with modern amenities, such as full bathrooms and even a few electrical sockets, while still keeping its original charm. Two rooms had been set aside for us – a girls' room and a boys' room. We were told that people could sleep in the castle, but it would be costly. For some reason, Director Shaw thought it would be a great experience for us to sleep in an ancient castle, despite the fact that there was a motel less than two miles away.

Earlier today, the director decided to just go ahead and use the shot with Cream in it as a bonus feature. Additionally (and to my surprise), Cream gave her consent for this. That wasn't all; My friends and family and I all got to be specially interviewed for a behind-the-scenes shot as well. It was rather gentle, nothing like being on The Tonight Show or The Graham Norton Show or anything like that.

We didn't spend the entire time at the castle. Ella had driven us around the countryside to explore our surroundings, and we got to eat out at a local restaurant. It was quite neat to be in another country, even if I hadn't been to England in many years.

But now it was already bedtime.

I returned to my room, having just finished using the bathroom. Tails, the room's only other occupant, was currently lying on his stomach on the king-sized bed, reading a sci-fi novel.

I walked over to the open window, taking in the night air. "You know if Sonic's still outside?" I asked. I hadn't seen him since supper.

"I think so," he replied without looking up. "He seemed to be a bit absent-minded last time I saw him, but he didn't say anything when I asked."

"That's not like him," I stated, slowly turning back to the bed.

"Not really," Tails countered. "I've known Sonic practically all my life, and even then he can still be a mystery to me." He peered over the top of his book. "Is it normal for your mom to film this late at night?"

"She films at all different times of day," I replied, "except for the middle of the night."

"But isn't that stressful for her?" Tails asked. "I mean, she probably needs to take a break sometimes."

"She's really busy," I said. "But she does stop by to visit whenever she's able."

That statement hung in the air for a while. Eventually, it got quiet after that, and Tails returned to his book.

Mom had told me that she would wrap up filming for the night in about an hour. She and the director agreed that they could shoot a few of Mom's scenes inside the castle now that it was the right time of day.

After another moment at the window, I wandered back to the bed and flopped onto the surprisingly soft mattress, not bothering to remove my shoes. I lay there for a moment, feeling a slight shiver rippling across my skin. It was too bad the window didn't have glass; otherwise, I wouldn't have to worry about feeling chilly.

It didn't take long for Tails to note that I was a little cold. "You'll get used to it," he quietly assured.

"I don't know…" I doubted. "I don't exactly have fur like you. Besides… I've never been inside an actual medieval castle before. I've only seen them in my history books."

"Well, there's a first time for everything," Tails said as he turned the page. It was true. For some reason, there was an awful lot I wouldn't have been able to do without my friends.

I closed my eyes, starting to feel a wave of exhaustion… but the hair on my skin started to rise as I felt another shiver, and this time not from the cold. Something felt a little off about this place all of a sudden.

I quickly sat up, trying to dismiss whatever it was. Tails looked up.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I… I'm just… going to the bathroom," I fumbled as I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up.

"But I thought you just went," a confused Tails pointed out.

"I'm just getting some water," I explained as I headed toward the big wooden door. It wasn't a lie; besides, I wanted to just get my mind off of the odd feeling I got while lying on the bed.

I pulled the wooden door open, cringing a little at the audible groan the hinges made as it slid open. I left it open as I walked down the hallway to the bathroom. It was eerily quiet; the only sound was my sneakers on the stone floor.

Director Shaw's call of "Action!" rang through the halls in the distance. Out of curiosity, I paused in my tracks to listen to see if I could hear anything interesting. The film crew was several rooms away, but I didn't want to get any closer; I would probably get in the shot the way Cream did earlier if I did. So I settled to be content with eavesdropping from here.

A moment later, I heard another voice say something I couldn't pick up. They were either too quiet, or too far away. Either way, it sounded like it was concerned.

"Cut!" called the director. "Again?"

It sounded like the crew was experiencing a problem of some sort, and this wasn't the first time.

"Fine, we'll call it a night," announced the somewhat frustrated director. "We'll take it from the top first thing tomorrow." All was quiet again after that.

I continued tiptoeing toward the bathroom, so as not to make too much noise in the already quiet castle. The whole time, I kept wondering what had gone wrong.

I walked into the bathroom, turned on the light, grabbed a nearby styrofoam cup, and filled it with water from the sink, grateful that whoever renovated the interior installed one.

I turned away from the mirror and began to drink my water. That's when I started to feel the hair on my skin standing on end again. I glanced at my arm, and saw goosebumps appearing, not to mention I felt more chills. This was the same feeling I felt in the bed, but stronger.

Something in my gut told me not to look in the mirror for some reason. I decided to listen to that gut feeling, though it wouldn't do anything to satisfy my curiosity, though that was probably for the better.

I finished my water, setting the styrofoam cup down on the counter, all the while being careful not to look in the mirror. I didn't want to know what was in it. I just didn't.

I turned off the light and walked out of the bathroom, wondering what kind of bullet I had just dodged.

As I passed by the girls' room, I said good night to Ella, Amy, Cream, and Cheese. Fortunately, they didn't seem to notice the goosebumps or anything that I was still feeling.

As I walked back to my room, I realized I was not alone. A figure had appeared at the end of the hall, and was walking toward me, its high heels clicking against the stone floor. Only when I recognized the familiar Victorian steampunk gown it was wearing did I realize I was holding my breath.

"Mom!" I exclaimed. I didn't expect to see her here and now. Then again, filming had wrapped, and her bedroom was on the other side of the bathroom, so I probably shouldn't have been so surprised. But my nerves were up a little from the bathroom, and I couldn't let Mom know about it.

"Chris, honey, what are you doing up?" she asked as we drew near, and hugged

"I was just getting some water," I answered with as straight a face as I could manage. We broke the hug. "So what happened earlier?"

"The sound man kept picking up strange ultrasounds, but he couldn't find out what the problem was," Mom explained. "We finally had to call it a night."

"That's weird," I commented.

"It sure is," Mom said. "They're looking into it now. Hopefully they can fix the problem by morning. I need to go change and remove my makeup. You have a wonderful sleep now, Chris."

"You too, Mom," I said after she kissed my cheek. "Good night."

As Mom disappeared down the hall, I continued walking toward my room. This time I didn't tiptoe, as my room was right there. The room was already feeling familiar, even though it wasn't nearly as well-furnished as my bedroom back home.

Tails looked up from his book, his namesakes twitching slightly as he sensed my arrival.

"Did something happen?" he asked.

"No," I half-lied. "Why?"

"You were gone for longer than I thought," he noted. "Also, did I hear you and your mom talking?"

"Yeah," I answered. "She said the film crew was detecting weird sounds or something?" I repeated uncertainly. "They just stopped for the night."

"Strange sounds…" mused Tails as he lowered his book.

"Yeah. They have no idea what's making them."

I crossed the room and lay back down on the bed as Tails thought for a moment.

"Well… Maybe I can take a look at their recording devices in the morning, and see what I can find if it persists," he reminded himself.

It was quiet after that… too quiet. Normally I could sleep in silence, but now I found myself wishing I had some soothing ambient background sound to sleep to. It was just too quiet.

For the longest time, I lay there, staring at the ceiling, eyes wide open. Now that I was left alone with my thoughts, the sensation I felt in the bathroom felt even stronger in hindsight than before. I didn't want to know what kind of thing was in the mirror, and why I somehow knew not to look into it. I was unable to shake that memory.

"Do you believe in ghosts?" I found myself asking Tails out of the blue nearly ten minutes later. The kit sat up a bit, taken aback by my sudden question.

"Why do you ask…?" he queried, sounding more uncertain than I had heard him sound lately.

"Well…" I honestly didn't know why I asked in the first place. "It's just… old castles like this one… could be haunted, I guess…"

Tails didn't answer right away. Instead, his bright blue eyes darted around the room, as if scanning it for any possible apparitions. At last he turned back to me with a smile that to me looked forced.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about, Chris," he told me, even though I was quite sure he was trying and failing to reassure himself. "Go to sleep. You'll feel better in the morning."

However, despite finally crawling under the covers and closing my eyes, sleep did not come easily to me. I squeezed my eyes shut, but it was to no avail, not to mention the uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach was still there, no matter how hard I tried to focus on anything else.

 _Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts… flying in the X-Tornado… helping out Tails in the lab… getting to see Mom at Blair Castle… the mirror in the bathroom…_

 _No! Think happy thoughts! Anything but that!_

After about fifteen minutes of this, I started to feel the sensation of sleep wash over me. At last, I settled on thoughts of going on adventures with Sonic. He was an amazing friend, unlike any other. He may have been an alien, but in so many ways, he was human. And to think that he was living with me of all people – I was truly lucky. And I also had Tails, Amy, Cream, Cheese, and Knuckles too. And they even vowed to protect me from–

A terrifying scream pierced the air, involuntarily making me bolt up in bed, before being muffled into a deafening silence. My heart pounded in my chest.

"That was Mom!" I barely managed to squeak.

Looking over, I saw that Tails was already sitting up in bed, his fur puffed out in fright. I hurriedly leaned over and grabbed my shoes, slipping them on. I hadn't even bothered untying the laces, so I was grateful I didn't have to waste any time with them.

Once they were on seconds later, I turned to the door, and saw that Tails was standing there waiting for me instead of running ahead. Maybe he could have gone ahead, but he was never the type of person to leave anyone behind.

I wordlessly bolted into a run toward the door, and threw it open before taking off down the hall. Tails followed right behind me. Even though I was able to naturally run faster than him, he used his namesakes to propel himself forward, even passing me. It wasn't a race, but that, combined with my one determination, spurred me on.

 _Find Mom._

 _Is she okay?_

Just as I was about to pass by the girls' room, Amy emerged, quickly joining us as we made our way to Mom's room. Cream, Cheese, and Ella were next, but they quickly fell behind us.

When we arrived, I entered Mom's room first, scanning everywhere for any sign of Mom. Yet she was nowhere to be seen. In fact, the only sign of anything that could have gone wrong was a broken hand mirror on the floor.

"She's not here…" I lamented.

"Well, she's gotta be somewhere!" Amy declared. "She can't have just disappeared!"

"What happened?" Ella urgently asked as she and Cream entered. The little rabbit and Chao were hiding behind the maid's dress. Both were, to say the least, nervous.

"Mom's gone!" I exclaimed. I had no proof of it, as I was overcome by emotion.

"It's like she just vanished!" added Amy.

"And dropped the mirror?" speculated an uncertain Tails. If that were true, that would only succeed in adding more fuel to a fire that started feeling more and more real the more I thought about it.

"We need to call for her," Cream suggested, summoning up the bravery to advance into the room. She glanced down at the hundreds of shards of tiny glass that littered the stone floor.

"That's actually not a bad idea," Tails commented.

In the moments that followed, we all began to call for Mom. We walked further down the hall beyond Mom's room and the bathroom, our desperate voices reverberating throughout the corridor. But there was no sign of my mother after two minutes.

"Let's split up," Amy suggested. "We can cover more ground that way."

The girls formed a group and wandered back the way we came toward our room, while Tails and I continued down the hall. We didn't even need to discuss who would go with which group.

"I can't believe she's gone…" I said fearfully after a minute.

"She can't have gone far," Tails whispered, looking around.

"It's not possible," I continued. "I mean… I just said good night to her; she was still removing her makeup…"

"Chris…" Tails looked at me, fear in his eyes, ears flattened, and gripped my arm for comfort. My heart would have gone out for him if I wasn't in the same position myself. "I don't know about you… b-but the g-ghost thing is starting to sound more p-plausible…"

My lip started to quiver from the mounting fear of the unknown. "Wh-when I was in the b-bathroom… I felt goosebumps… I felt like… s-something told me not to l-look in the m-mirror…" I stopped on my tracks. "Tails… th-this place _is_ haunted!"

Immediately after those words left my lips, another shrill scream ran through the air behind us, followed by even more caterwauling.

The girls.

Tails' namesakes once again puffed out in all directions to about twice their size in fright. I had to practically force my legs to turn in the opposite direction and move one of them in front of the other quickly to get back to the others. Tails was equally as scared.

It took us about twenty seconds to return to the others, though with the building adrenalin, it felt way longer. Additionally, at a glance, "others" was now reduced to a singular term.

Cream and Cheese were gone. The only sign of Ella was her muscular arm protruding from the stone wall. Amy and her unquenchable determination was the only thing preventing Ella from being pulled into the wall, however that was possible.

"Help me!" Amy urged before Tails could question what was going on.

Both of us instinctively ran over and took hold of what little of Ella's arm there was left. The force coming from the other side of the wall was incredibly powerful.

"Wh-what's going on?" I asked.

"It's ghosts!" Amy spoke, her voice sounding an octave higher than usual in her fright. "They already got Cream and Cheese!"

We pulled even harder. Unfortunately, Tails didn't have as firm a grip as me and Amy, and Ella's arm started being pulled into the wall even more.

"I hate to say this…" Tails spoke, grunting under the strain of the effort, "but it's a losing battle. We have to let her go, or else they're going to take us too."

Amy looked up, ready to retort, but huffed in surrender instead. "You're right…" she said, and reluctantly released her grasp.

The sudden release nearly pulled my hand into the wall, and I let go just in time, as did Tails. In fact, a few of my fingers literally moved through the part of the wall briefly as if there was nothing but air there.

Before we knew it, Sonic was on the scene. It didn't even take him a second to notice the panic-stricken looks on out faces.

"Did I hear screams?" he asked as he skidded to a halt. "What's going on?"

"Sonic, it's haunted!" Amy exclaimed, sounding both scared and relieved that her crush had finally arrived. "A couple ghosts dragged Cream, Cheese, and Ella through that wall!" She pointed to the part of the wall where we had just seen Ella's hand. In retrospect, it was pretty ghastly.

"Pulled through a wall… For some reason, the nature of these ghosts seems familiar," he mused as he slowly walked over to Tails, who probably looked the most frightened out of all of us. He quietly asked Tails if he was okay, and the young fox slowly nodded. He was trying to be brave for his big brother.

"Where were you this whole time?" Amy asked.

"Just investigating something important out in the yard," he answered, "but priorities first." He stepped toward the wall and placed his hand on it. To my surprise, the wall looked solid once again. "Something tells me this kind of ghost isn't supposed to exist in this world, so how–"

The hedgehog was interrupted as several stones in the wall launched themselves out of place, clattering at our feet and causing us to jump back in fright. Where the rocks used to be, there was now a ethereal purple portal leading into the realm of the supernatural. From within came childlike laughter, albeit with a sinister undertone to it.

Almost immediately after we had processed what was happening, three long ghostly hands stretched out of the portal, blindly feeling for us in the dark corridor.

"Run!" ordered Sonic.

My heart beat a mile a minute as my friends and I took off running in no particular direction. But we had only made it a few steps when I heard Tails cry out in terror from right behind me. Turning around, I saw him being dragged back to the portal by two hands. One was clenching around his right arm, while the other firmly grasped his twin tails. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, and the pure fear on his face riveted me to the spot.

Immediately acting, Sonic tried to make a grab for the transparent hands, but he phased right through them. In the next split second, he grasped Tails' hands in his own with what looked like an iron grip of determination.

"I gotcha, buddy," he said through gritted teeth.

"S-Sonic…" Tails squeaked.

But the hedgehog maintained his footing. "I'm not letting go."

"B-B-But you have to!" Tails protested, his struggles visibly lessening against his supernatural captors. "O-otherwise… they'll take you too!"

"You and I both know I don't give up that easily," Sonic stated.

"I know you'll find a way to get us out!" Tails said, his voice getting weaker. "Sonic… you have to let go… There's no other way…"

It was a really tense moment, and I was unable to take my eyes off the scene. Amy too was speechless as Sonic debated on what to do. His next action would decide the fate of his long-time brother.

"Listen…" Sonic spoke, his voice strained under emotion I had never heard coming from him. "I hate to do this, and I hope I don't regret it, but… I'm coming back for you, okay?"

With that promise, he let go of Tails' hands, and Amy shouted the fox's name as he was quickly pulled into the purple portal. I was too scared to do anything. Too scared to cry, too scared to speak, too scared to–

"I told you to run!" shouted Sonic, right before the hands came back and grabbed him, wrapping themselves around his waist and pinning his right arm to his side. He visibly looked constricted.

"Sonic!" both Amy and I shouted at the same time.

The hedgehog threw a large stone object toward me, one that I didn't realize he had been holding onto this whole time. It fell short and landed on the floor, rolling to a stop at my feet.

It looked strangely familiar…

"That may have something to do with all this!" he urgently shouted. "Now _go_!"

Shaken from my trance, I took off running, completely forgetting to pick up the object Sonic had tossed to me. Amy quickly followed behind me.

Something grazed the back of my leg in the slightest. The ghost hands were much longer than I thought. It caused a weird tickling sensation, and I held back the urge to scream.

"Don't look back!" warned Amy.

Far behind us, we heard the sound of stones sliding together. I could not resist the urge and looked back anyway to see that the stones were levitating themselves off the floor and were resealing the portal. The laughter stopped, just like that. The hall was dead silent once again, as if nothing had ever happened.

Our adreanlin rush started to wear off, and my legs felt like jelly. My breathing was fast and shallow. I could feel my heart beating in my head. Only now did I realize what had just happened, and what I very nearly avoided.

While all I felt was fear, Amy was feeling a combination of sadness and anger boiling within her core. She whipped out her hammer, causing me to take a step back, and slammed it against the wall in blind emotion, each impact reverberating through the ancient hall.

I stood back and let Amy take out her emotions on the wall. Opting to check out the object Sonic had been holding on to. As I glanced down at it, I realized why it looked familiar.

It was the hourglass-shaped object from the castle's yard.

I picked it up – it was heavier than it looked – and examined both of its flat ends. On one side was a picture of the sun. On the other side was the moon. Both images were chiseled in great detail, and looked as they might back in colonial times.

After a minute, the hollow thuds of Amy's hammer ceased, and the pink hedgehog slowly put away her hammer. The tears that had been threatening to leak from her eyes finally gave way, and she broke down.

Now I had never been in a situation like this before. There were times that Cream had cried about something, but Amy or Sonic had always been there to comfort her. But I had never seen Amy, or Tails, or Sonic cry before, ever. Being alone with a Mobian who was emotionally distraught was new for me, especially when I was the only one there, so I didn't know what to do.

I approached Amy and bent down, slowly patting her back, hoping the soothing motion would eventually calm her. To my surprise, she turned and, wrapping her arms around me, openly cried into my shoulder. This took me aback. I may have been a little uncomfortable, but that wasn't what I was thinking about. I gently hugged her back, and we remained like that for the next few minutes. In fact, I even shed a few tears myself.

The awful reality of our situation hit hard. It had been a peaceful night after a long day of filming. No one would have thought that Blair Castle was haunted. We had just witnessed all of our friends being abducted by supernatural beings. Now only me and Amy were left. We were now alone together in an ancient castle.

* * *

 **Blair Castle – Sat March 12; 11:39 PM – Third-person POV**

Chris and Amy were sitting in silence in the former's room roughly ten minutes later.

They had been discovered by a few members of the film crew who happened to be passing through that part of the castle. Of course, their curiosity got the better of them, and they asked what happened. One explanation from Chris later, since Amy was an emotional wreck, they said they would call the police in the morning. Through her tears, Amy tried to tell them that it wasn't good enough, that they needed to save their friends now. The crew members apologized, saying there was nothing more they could do.

Minute after minute of anguish passed. Neither of them spoke. No words would come. Their friends were gone, taken away by some supernatural force, and there was nothing they could do to get them back.

Chris sat there on one side of the bed, absent-mindedly rubbing his hand on the smooth surface of the hourglass. It felt heavy on his lap, but he wasn't in the right mindset to care. Amy, on the other hand, was sitting on the adjacent side of the bed, with the corner between them. She had long removed what she had called her warrior feather. It was a relic from Mobius she had come upon by pure luck when it was her turn to fly around the world with Tails.

Chris finally broke the silence, his voice still wavering from his fright. "…Sonic said the ghosts were familiar…"

"They're called Boos…" Amy whispered without looking up. "Knuckles told me about them."

"So… they're from Mobius?"

"Yes… but I don't know how they got here."

"What if it was Chaos Control?"

Amy was silent for a moment as she pondered this possibility. "That sounds like the only logical explanation," she said. "Perhaps they were close enough to Eggman's base to be transported here."

The pink hedgehog finally looked up, and noticed the stone hourglass on Chris' lap. She reached over and lifted it off of Chris' lap. Chris wasn't expecting this, but he didn't react.

"This was outside…" Amy quietly remarked.

"Sonic said it had something to do with the ghosts…" Chris said, still staring blankly at where the hourglass rested on his lap. "That was before they got him."

Amy turned the stone over, examining it. "So it must be some kind of talisman, then," she commented.

"I guess…" replied Chris.

After another moment, Amy set the talisman down on the floor, then flopped onto the bed with a sigh.

"I'm never gonna sleep tonight," she groaned.

Deep down, as Chris made his way over to his own bed, he knew he wouldn't sleep either. He debated saying what came to his mind next.

"I… I think I almost saw them tonight…" he said. Amy sat up in interest. "I was getting water from the bathroom, and for some reason… it felt like… something told me not to look in the mirror…" He shuddered at the memory. "I think there might have been ghosts in the mirror…"

"And you didn't tell us?" Amy questioned, now concerned.

"Well… because I was afraid you wouldn't believe me," Chris admitted. "Tails even said there was nothing to worry about."

"Tails is terrified of ghosts," explained Amy, adjusting her position against the pillows. "He was trying to put on a brave face."

 _So that explains why he was nervous when I asked him if he believed in ghosts_ , thought Chris.

"Amy," Chris began, "is everyone going to be okay?"

"I honestly don't know…" Amy said, starting to feel depressed once again. "From what I know, the Boos aren't capable of creating portals the way they did."

The room was silent for another minute, until Chris spoke. "I can't even think about sleeping alone after tonight."

"Me neither…" Amy whispered. "Chris… can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Yes, you can," granted Chris without hesitation. Normally there was a thing about boys and girls sleeping together, but Chris' mind was innocent, and besides, both of them were too scared to sleep alone.

They said their good nights to each other, and an eerie silence reigned again. Normally Chris would have probably gone on his phone to try to forget about everything, but this time, he just didn't feel like it. His eyes simply refused to close, even when he tried to force them shut, so he just lay there, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling.

Amy could not get any sleep either. She glanced down at the talisman resting on the floor, her mind on her friends. Would Cream, Cheese, Ella, and Mrs. Thorndyke be okay. Most importantly, would _Sonic_ be okay?

She inwardly smiled, even if it felt forced. Of _course_ he would be fine; he had gotten out of even the toughest situations, with or without help. And this time, it seemed that her hero would need the rescuing this time.

But would she and Chris be able to do it? These were ghosts, after all. She hoped they would be able to get to the bottom of this in the morning… this is, _if_ either of them could get any sleep. A restless night was inevitable.

* * *

 **Blair Castle – Sun March 13; 10:23 AM – Chris' POV**

It took us much longer than it should have to finish eating breakfast the next morning.

Director Shaw let us go first, since he and the film crew prioritized speaking with the police when they arrived. The officers asked us a few questions, but I didn't think they could do anything about it, since they didn't specialize in ghosts.

Amy and I only got three hours of sleep apiece, so naturally, we were very tired. I never bothered to change into my pajamas from last night, so I was still wearing yesterday's clothes. While I didn't mind eating outside at the picnic area that was still set up from the previous night, the only reason we ate outside was because neither the director nor the police wanted us being inside the castle for any reason.

I absent-mindedly listened to the birds chirping in the trees surrounding the ancient castle, as if nothing wrong happened last night. I wished I could have enjoyed the scenery, but it was hard to think straight with a combination of exhaustion and shock. In fact, Amy and I hardly said anything to each other, though I was starting to suspect that Amy had a familiar determined look in her eye.

"Did you happen to bring the talisman down from our room?" she asked out of the blue after we finished eating.

The talisman… I had almost forgotten about it.

"What about it?" I asked.

"I wanted to see if it had a connection with the pedestal it was sitting on," Amy explained.

"No, I didn't," I said. "Maybe I should have."

"Wait here," Amy instructed, turning toward the castle. "I'll go get it."

"But you can't!" I countered, raising my hand to stop her, not that it would do any good. "They don't want you in there until the police check it out!"

"I'm only gonna be like five minutes!" Amy called behind her. I sighed. Once she got this determined, there was no stopping her.

As much as I loved to go on adventures with Sonic, no one brought quite as much spunk and determination to the field like Amy. As Sonic once said, she was "the glue that holds the team together." She was like an older sister to me by just a couple months, and an excellent source of encouragement.

Fortunately, I had not seen any other signs of ghost activity since Sonic was dragged into the portal. I found it to be both a good thing and a bad thing. It begged a few questions. Where was everyone taken? Would they be okay?

I was really grateful that not only was I not captured, but someone else wasn't either. If I was the only one not captured, I wouldn't know what to do besides mope. And there was no way I would want to find out firsthand what was on the other side of the portal.

"All right, I'm back!" called a voice from behind me. Turning, I saw Amy returning with the talisman; somehow, she made it look lighter than it really was. I noted that she was cheerier now than she was at breakfast.

"Did they see you?" I asked, astonished at how she wasn't caught.

A smug look crossed her features. "Nope," she stated matter-of-factly, emphasizing the P. "Anyway, now that I have a clearer mind, I just took a look at the symbols on the talisman. I don't know your world's history too well, but they look pretty ancient."

"I think so too," I agreed. "They look like they could mean something, but I don't know what."

"Well, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough," Amy declared. "Now let's go check out that pedestal!"

Amy took off running across the yard, and I found that it took more energy than I thought I needed to match her pace. The stone talisman looked like it weighed next to nothing in her grasp. Then again, so did her hammer. She once let me hold it; it too was surprisingly heavy, but for some reason, I kept feeling like it could disappear at any time. Aside from that random nugget, it really reminded me of Thor's hammer.

Once we reached the pedestal nearly thirty seconds later, I marveled that it was larger than I thought. It was almost as tall as me, that was for sure. There was a circular slot where the talisman used to rest. At a glance, it looked pretty ordinary, being made of smooth stone on all five exposed sides, until I noticed something that didn't look completely smooth. There was ancient English text etched into the weathered stone.

"Hey Amy, come check this out!" I quietly called. The hedgehog quickly came to my side. About that time I made out the words. Apparently it was a riddle of some sort.

" _Betwixt the earth and moonlit sky  
_ _Olden souls roam by and by  
_ _When pass the beacon o'er this land  
_ _King's reign ending is at hand_ "

"I don't get it," Amy commented after scanning it for the second time.

"Me neither," I seconded.

"Well, it's definitely a riddle, that's for sure," said Amy. "Where there's a riddle, there's a mystery."

I glanced up at the castle. "For all we know, it doesn't have anything to do with ghosts."

"But Sonic found the talisman here," Amy pointed out. "He also said it may have something to do with the ghosts."

After studying the riddle again, I shook my head. "I never did believe in ghosts… well, not until last night. I don't think they're inside the castle anymore. The director said he searched the whole place top to bottom."

Amy set down the talisman on the grass. "Well, there _has_ to be another way in, just in case."

The gears in my head began to turn. _Another way in._ There was the front door, which we used. There were also a few other doors around the perimeter of the fortification, but by now there would be police everywhere, so it would be too risky. And then–

"I just thought of something," I said out of the blue.

"What?" Amy became interested.

"What if this thing is hiding a secret entrance?"

Amy's eyes widened slightly. "That's a thought…" she mused. "You may be on to something, Chris. Of course, there's only one way to find out." She materialized her hammer in her grasp. "Stand back."

"Wait," I said, holding my hand out to stop her before she raised her weapon. "For all we know, this might not even be an entrance. But to be sure, I want to try something."

I squatted down and reached toward the base of the pedestal, feeling along the area where the stone pillar met the ground.

"Are you looking for an air current?" Amy asked, leaning on the handle of her hammer.

I looked up, confused. That wasn't quite what I had in mind.

"'Cause if this pedestal really is concealing a tunnel, then there has to be a draft somewhere."

"A draft…" I repeated, before returning to what I was doing. "I was looking for a switch or something, but a draft sounds even better."

Amy set down her hammer and also bent down to help me find a current. I hadn't noticed any air on my hand from beneath, so what if there was no current? Then how else would we rescue our friends?

"I wouldn't expect to find a switch on something this ancient," Amy told me.

I nodded. "I thought it was worth a try."

I momentarily thought back to the riddle. I could see how it might have to do with ghosts, but at the same time, I couldn't quite seem to connect the dots. I didn't want to get up to look at it again yet.

At last my hand stopped over a bare part of the ground untouched by grass. There it was, the current we were searching for. Perhaps it was worth the grass stains my pants were probably getting.

"I think I found it? I'm not sure," I announced. Amy walked over and felt the same spot I had felt. A satisfied smile crossed her face.

"I think we just made our breakthrough," she declared.

I, on the other hand, was confused. "Wait, how can you feel a draft through your gloves?"

A shrug was the only answer I got, and I decided not to question further. Mobian logic racked my brain sometimes…

The pink hedgehog headed back and retrieved her hammer. "Okay, _now_ stand back," she instructed. I did as she requested, and as she prepared the swing, I guessed it would take more than one hit for the ancient pedestal to budge.

I flinched as the hammer made a crushing impact on the side of the stone slab. Surprisingly, one blow was all it took. In spite of an impact zone on its otherwise flawless surface, the pedestal was completely moved aside. And that was why I thought it wise to never underestimate Amy Rose.

We were rewarded with a yawning abyss and a set of stairs leading into the unknown. I didn't think I would be excited to see something like that, but this was progress.

"Looks like our work paid off!" cheered Amy as we shared a high-five. "Now we're another step closer to rescuing everyone."

And that was when I thought of another problem we would inevitably face.

As she put away her hammer, Amy's expression changed to one of concern when she noticed that I was warily looking back in the direction of the castle.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I… I kinda feel weird about this," I admitted. "Shouldn't we maybe tell this to the police first? 'Cause I don't think we'll ever hear the end of it if they found out two kids went down a dark tunnel on their watch, not to mention it might also be haunted."

"Well…" Amy seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment. "Normally that's a good idea. But Chris, the police don't know what they're getting into. These are literal ghosts from Mobius with more power than they can handle." She looked back at the hole we had unearthed. "We have to do this ourselves; it's the only way we can free everyone."

I opened my mouth to argue, but realized that she was right about all this, and not just because of her knowing smile.

"Of course, you don't _have_ to come," Amy said in a somewhat teasing tone, "but you can't chicken out now, not when we came so far!" Then she added in a more assuring voice, "But seriously, if you're scared, you can always stay up here. I won't blame you."

Rubbing my arm, I took another uneasy glance down at the hole. If I had to listen to common sense, I wouldn't go down there if there was money on the line, not that we needed a lot more of it. Rather, my friends were on the line, and that was why I felt like I had to go.

"To be honest, I… might be more scared up here alone than if I had someone to be with down there. And… and if you get caught… I-I can't do anything to help!"

"Chris, it's okay," Amy told me, sounding not only reassuring, but also determined. "But you do make a fair point. In that case, it's best that we stick together. And if anything happens, I can protect both of us."

"There's still one more problem, Amy," I realized. "How are we going to see when we go down there? It's not like we have flashlights or anything."

"Oh, yeah…" Amy sounded a little disappointed. "Oh, maybe you could use the light of your phone?" she suggested. "Actually, I can use mine too just as well."

"I don't know if it's gonna work that well," I brought up.

"You don't have to doubt yourself!" she encouraged, extending her hand to me. "Just put your screen on max brightness, and tell yourself you're doing this for Sonic, for your mom!"

Even though I had no idea what to expect once we entered the realm of the unknown, I knew I could trust Amy to protect us and get us to safety if anything went wrong. Perhaps I could prove myself useful once again.

"Okay," I said quietly, taking Amy's offered hand in my own. "Let's do this."

I pulled out my phone and unlocked it; otherwise, I would only have to turn it on again after the sleep timer went off. Then I swiped down from the top of the screen and set the brightness to the highest setting squinting at its suddenness. Turning, I saw that Amy had done the same.

I glanced over at the talisman still resting on the ground. "Wait, hold on," I said as I walked over to pick it up. Amy was confused at first, her mouth open to question what I was going, but nodded in understanding instead.

"That's a good idea," she said as I lifted the heavy stone. It was rather difficult to hold both it and my phone at the same time. In fact, I had to set my phone down and use both hands to lift the stone. "Sonic did say that thing has something to do with all this."

"It's actually pretty heavy," I commented. "I don't think I can carry my phone too."

"Then you carry that and I'll light the way, okay?"

"All right," I agreed. I set the talisman down to pocket my phone, then lifted it again and joined my friend at the top of the stairs. She phone her phone down the passage, its light dancing off the ancient, grimy walls. She descended first, then me.

"Stay close to me," she cautioned. "It may get really dangerous really fast."

As we walked down the steps, which were surprisingly close together, I began to notice the air getting colder around us. In fact, if I had to guess, it must have been a good fifteen to twenty degrees colder. It wasn't quite chilly enough for me to need a jacket, but it was getting there.

As my eyes started to acclimate to the dark, I noticed the occasional patches of moss on the stone walls. I didn't know what this passage was used for back when the castle was settled, but it may have led to a cellar or hidden bunker where the castle's inhabitants would hide during a siege, or so I imagined.

I could clearly hear the sound of every step we took reverberating throughout the stairwell. It was quite eerie, but not as eerie as the amplified sound of our own breathing.

This whole time, I felt uneasy in my stomach. I kept nervously glancing around, half-expecting something to jump out at us at any second. All I wanted was my friends back. I didn't know that there were going to be ghosts at the castle when we landed here. Even Amy didn't know that they had inadvertently been sent here from Mobius, and that was scary in itself.

"So…" I started, looking behind us for maybe the fourth time, "what can these ghosts do? What are their powers?"

"I wish I knew," Amy replied. "It's been so long since Knuckles fought them that I can't remember what he said about them. All I know is that they're dangerous."

I was silent after that. At the same time, I both did and didn't want to know how dangerous they were. If they were capable of bodily dragging people through portals, then they had to be capable of other things as well. What exactly, I feared I would find out for myself.

Suddenly Amy shrieked from in front of me, causing my heart to leap out of my chest. I tightened my grasp on the talisman, and was surprised that Amy hadn't dropped her phone in her fright. We both paused for a moment to calm our racing hearts. All the while, I wondered what had scared her. I couldn't see anything after scanning the stairwell.

"S-Sorry," Amy spoke, voice quivering. "A drop of water fell on me." She paused for a second. "I guess my nerves are up more than I thought."

"Yeah," I whispered. "Maybe we should keep talking… then it won't be too quiet."

Amy silently nodded in agreement, and we continued downward.

"So…" the hedgehog started. "What do we want to talk about?"

"Uh…" I was just starting to think of something when Amy beat me to it.

"The other day, I thought, 'What if I open a diner somewhere in Station Square?'" she monologued. "I don't mind at all if it's small, but if I do open a diner, I can cook using all the skills Ella taught me."

I hummed in interest.

"Of course, it's just an idea," she finished. "Maybe I'll do it, maybe not, but it probably all depends on how long we're here."

"You know, Tails mentioned a job too," I commented. "Last month when I was with him during the world tour, he mentioned something about maybe opening a hardware store or something… or was it a repair shop? I don't remember."

"That sounds like something he might do," said Amy, already not sounding as scared of the unknown. "If he does do that, then we could all have businesses and make lots of money for both ourselves and your family."

"But…" I had just thought of a downside to all this. "Would that mean seeing a lot less of you, if you get an apartment or something…?"

"Oh no, it's not like I'm moving out or anything!" Amy assured. "Besides, your grandpa told us about you, and how much you had been hurting for friends, so I'm not about to leave you now." She squeezed my hand in a comforting way. "I promise, we're gonna stay with you until it's time for us to go back home, okay?"

I already felt myself crawling into my skin at that prospect. Anything but that…

"Chris, you would still have your other friends. You know, Danny, Frances, Helen? You still have them."

"But they're not the same–"

I was interrupted by the sound of something from the other side of the darkness. There was no way to tell what it was, but if I had to guess, it was something falling to the floor, its impact reverberating off of the walls.

"What was that?" Amy questioned, her voice sounding a few tones higher than normal.

"I don't know," I breathed. "I don't know if I want to find out."

It didn't seem like I had a choice either way, as the sound happened again. It became clear that it was a clicking sound that repeated every second or so, with each click getting closer. Then we saw what was causing it. Rows of torches were lighting themselves along the walls of the chamber we had just entered now that we had finished descending the staircase.

Not only were we taken by surprise, but we were also forced to shield our eyes at the sudden purple light the torches were giving off. I didn't know why the flames were purple instead of orange, but it just made things creepier.

"Wha… how… how did that happen?" I stuttered.

Amy looked around us. The light illuminated an ancient wooden door in the distance - one of two I saw in the chamber.

"Your guess is as good as mine," she said. "But anyway, I guess I won't be needing this." She shut off her phone's screen and stored it back in Hammerspace. "I really hope this isn't a trap…"

Then I thought of something important, something I should have asked in hindsight.

"Amy, what should I do if we actually see the ghosts?"

"Well… try to stay calm, first of all," she said after a moment. "The one thing I just remembered about them is that they feed off of their victims' fear. It makes them stronger." Amy shuddered as she said this.

I was in a state of disbelief. If they were literally capable of doing that, then we were done for. I wanted to question it, but all that came out was:

"Wh… They feed off of their victim's… That can't be real."

"But it _is_ real, Chris," Amy said. "We need to face the facts. Just try to stay as calm as you can and hopefully they won't–"

Amy's voice died in her throat, and we both cried out as four shapes moved through the door ahead of us as if it wasn't there. The ghosts had arrived.

They were moving toward us very quickly, probably faster than I could run, all the while laughing the same way I had heard them laugh when the portal opened up last night.

I found myself cowering at the terrifying faces that immediately replaced their innocent cute ones. I was scared, and they were coming for us. For me in particular, I assumed; I was their best source of fear power.

I couldn't believe it. I was done for.

In a flash, Amy impulsively grabbed the talisman from me and held it over her head defensively, possibly _offensively_ , although I didn't know how well it would do as a weapon.

But _something_ happened. The laughing stopped. Just like that.

Now it sounded like the ghosts were whimpering. I dared to look up, and saw that they were hovering back the way they came at a decent clip, trying to get away from us. They floated through the door and out of sight, leaving us both relieved and confused.

I stood stock-still, allowing my racing heart to calm down, as Amy lowered the stone hourglass.

"What happened…?" I asked uncertainly. "Why didn't they… Did you do something…?"

Amy looked down at the talisman in awe. "This might have scared them off…" she mused. "If that's the case…" She looked up with that familiar glint of determination. "Then we've got ourselves a weapon. Now let's go!"

Spurred on by her inner drive, she tucked the talisman under one arm, took my hand, and bolted across the room. The fact that she was able to carry the heavy stone like that didn't surprise me as much as her being able to run quickly with said stone. In fact, I actually had trouble keeping up with her, and that was saying a lot because I always thought I could run faster than any of the Mobians I had met, except for Sonic, obviously, and Knuckles.

Once we reached the big wooden door, Amy let go of my hand and motioned for me to stop. She set down the talisman and grasped the door's handle. However, she paused, understandably hesitant to open it.

"I don't know if I want to do this," she admitted.

"But we have to," I persuaded. "I mean, this is where we saw the ghosts went."

"I know," said Amy. "We're gonna have to just grin and bear it." She returned her focus to the door. "Now let's see if this door still opens."

She pulled on the handle slowly, and we were rewarded with movement as the door pivoted on its hinges. As it did so, it emitted a loud and ominous groan that sent shivers down my spine. It probably hadn't been used in years. In fact, the two of us might have been the first people in the cellar in well over a hundred years. If that was the case, then it could have served as an excellent bomb shelter during World War II.

Amy peeked through the crack in the door, and I was afraid to look, just in case the ghosts were in there. I didn't like being scared, so the thought of something paranormal jumping out at me… perish the thought.

"Do you… see anything in there…?" I asked.

"Yes…" Amy said, before pulling back from the door to look at me. "The ghosts just went through another door." She leaned down to pick up the talisman once more. "I'll go first."

The door was ajar, but not enough for me to fit through. I took hold of it and pulled gently, wincing at the groans the hinges made. At least it wasn't a regrettable choice.

"If the ghosts could grab people like yesterday," I spoke once I finished with the door, "can you use your hammer on them?"

"Chris, these are ghosts we're dealing with," Amy said. "They can alter their physical properties at will. If even Sonic couldn't do anything to them yesterday, neither can I."

By now we had cautiously entered the next room, Amy holding out the ancient stone hourglass like it was an object that could ward off the ghosts. This room was also lit by the purple torches, and there was a small set of steps leading down to the door Amy had pointed out moments before.

"Then how do we beat them?" I pressed.

"I don't know," replied Amy. "I mean, yeah, this thing _is_ pretty helpful, but it can only do us so much good against a whole army of them."

We neared the door, and the pit in my stomach made itself more apparent. That was the feeling of dread I had unfortunately become familiar with over the course of the past twelve hours. Something told me our destination was behind this door. Our friends, and our potential fate.

We reached the door, which I noted was smaller than the door we had just come through. I hoped to myself it wouldn't squeak as loud as the other door. It was really unsettling.

"Are you ready for this…?" Amy asked me, unsure of her own readiness.

I started fidgeting. "…No…" I admitted. "I'm not…"

"Me neither," Amy quietly said. "I'm just as scared as you are. But it's too late to go back now; we're so close."

I made a move to open the door, but stopped. Did I really want to do this? I was scared, and Amy said she was too. But we had to do this. There was no other way we could all make it out alive.

With sweating hands, I pulled the door open. It too creaked, though not as loudly as the first door, which we hadn't bothered closing. I thought it was for the better, in case we had to make a quick getaway.

Behind the door was yet another room. Like the two rooms before it, it was bare-bones, and lit by purple torches. However, it didn't take us long to see that this room was different than the others. Notably, it had what looked like a large window, complete with a windowsill, but instead of glass or an open space, there was more of the stone wall that made up the rest of the room.

"Dead end," I audibly noted. "But… there's nowhere else for them to go."

"Then why would they lead us here?" Amy wondered. She shifted the talisman's position in her hands as she started to piece things together. "Unless–"

The door slammed shut behind us.

And locked itself.

Amy screamed as all the torches were simultaneously snuffed out, plunging us in total darkness.

I stood still, not daring to move. I knew Amy was next to me, but I couldn't tell how close or far away she was.

"I-I-I'll get my phone," I muttered as I reached for my pocket. But I found that I didn't need to, for in the next moment, an eerie purple light shone above us, filling the room. It was weird, but the soft glow it caused was strangely soothing if I had the mental capacity to think about it.

But it wasn't the light I was focused on. It was _who_ was in it. Floating in the ethereal mist above us were the unconscious forms of Sonic, Tails, Cream, Cheese, Ella, and Mom!

Or so I thought Sonic was unconscious. He hadn't been moving this whole time, but it turned out he was awake, for he was now looking down at us in both relief and urgency.

"Sonic!" Amy exclaimed. "You said something about this stone having something to do with the ghosts?"

"Yeah, about that?" Sonic called, his voice sounding farther away than he really was. "I think I figured out what the riddle outside meant! You guys saw it too, right?"

"Yeah, we did," I responded. I was starting to get an idea of what it _could_ have meant, but I decided to hear Sonic out on this one.

"Since we're kinda pressed for time here, I'll spare ya the details, but all you have to do to get us out of here…"

Then Sonic's voice became something more hideous and deep, which threw me. Furthermore, a few ripples spread through the void above us.

" _…is insert the talisman into the slot on the windowsill with the moon side facing upward._ "

Even creepier, Sonic's mouth seemed to be moving differently than the words spoke, which meant Sonic must have been trying to say something else.

"Okay," Amy declared. "I'll do it."

I was stunned. Did she not just hear how Sonic sounded? I didn't know if the sun or moon sides of the stone meant anything, but I was able to figure out from "Sonic's" words that the moon side was bad.

"Amy, what are you doing?! That's not him!" I hissed as Amy started toward the windowsill.

"Relax, Chris," Amy told me. "Sonic knows what he's doing."

"But didn't you hear him?" I raised my voice, now irritated. "He didn't sound like Sonic."

"Don't be silly; of _course_ he sounds like Sonic."

I was stunned at Amy's responses. Why was she going along with the ghosts' plan?! Didn't she know?

I cast a fearful glance at Sonic, who looked like he was desperately trying to tell Amy to stop, but the words he spoke didn't match.

" _That's right, Amy. Have the moon side face upward. Then we shall be free again._ "

Just then, I noticed the ripples in the void fading away, and I could hear Sonic's normal voice again.

 _Those ripples are mind control indicators…_ I thought. I shook my head. _Snap out of it! You gotta stop Amy!_

"Don't do it, Amy!" Sonic desperately shouted as I bolted toward Amy. "The ghosts _want_ you to– uh-oh…"

Just as I reached Amy, the talisman in her hands made contact with the slot it was apparently made for. Even worse, the moon side was showing.

And it was glowing.

When the glow died down seconds later, I started to hear a whooshing sound from above us. Turning, I gasped as I saw the purple portal spreading across the entire ceiling of the room. But it wasn't the portal that scared me as much as what came out of it.

Amy let out a shriek, for we were laying our eyes on the biggest ghost we had ever seen. It was about as big as the first door we had come through. The only part of it that wasn't unnerving was its rainbow-colored tongue that protruded from its giant mouth. This had to be the leader of the ghosts.

And it wasn't alone. It was flanked by at least a dozen Boos, or whatever Amy called them.

" _Amy Rose, I thank you for releasing us into the realm of the living,_ " it spoke. I was surprised to hear that its voice was exactly the same as the one I had heard Sonic – or rather, _not_ Sonic – speaking in moments ago.

It seemed that Amy understood this ghost for what it was. She heard the voice it really used. She finally pieced it all together.

She had been tricked.

"What have I done…" whispered Amy, he hands already balling into fists. I glanced up at Sonic, who was trying to say something, but it came out muffled – probably an effect of the talisman.

From experience, I knew an event like this was the prelude to Amy's wrath, and I knew better than to get in her way when she was like this. I cautiously backed away as she glared daggers at the ghosts.

"You…" she growled, her voice rising. "You deceived me… You tricked me using my own Sonic!"

Out came her hammer, and with a passionate battle cry, she leaped into the air toward the giant ghost. However, it anticipated this move and faded away, causing the hedgehog to waste the energy she had put into a mighty swing. She struggled to maintain her balance upon landing, and almost toppled forward from the momentum.

The giant ghost reappeared a few feet behind her. With one swift move, he easily grabbed the unsuspecting Amy from behind, and she cried out as she was lifted into the air.

" _Join me, my servant,_ " the ghost beckoned as Amy struggled to no avail. I wanted so desperately to help, but knew I could do nothing at all.

One of the smaller ghosts entered her open mouth, and she immediately went limp. Once the pink hedgehog was still, the large ghost set her down surprisingly gently, then backed away and vanished along with the other ghosts.

I didn't move for a moment. I was afraid to. Were the ghosts really gone? Or were they up to something else. Either way, it didn't feel like it could get much worse than this.

"Chris?" I heard Sonic's voice from above me. "You okay down there, bud?"

I was surprised that I could hear him now. Earlier his voice sounded extremely muffled to the point where I couldn't make out any words. His voice was still slightly muffled, but it wasn't as bad anymore. Maybe it had something to do with the ghosts' presence in the room. In any case, I could hear him again.

"I-I…" I didn't know how to respond. Clearly it wasn't okay. Everyone, including Sonic was captured. Amy, the only one left who was capable of fending for themselves, was out cold. Now it was just me.

I gingerly tiptoed toward the unconscious form of Amy. I had to wake her up if we were to get out of here alive.

"Uh, Chris, I wouldn't get too close if I were you," warned Sonic.

I stopped, throwing an inquisitive glance up at Sonic. "Why?"

"Long story short, she just got possessed, and she could attack you without warning."

I shivered. What a ghastly thought.

"So, uh… You should probably flip the talisman back over. You're the only one who can do this. I believe in you," he said with a thumbs-up.

"O-okay," I said. "Just… flip it over…"

I slowly moved toward the window, casting a wary glance at Amy.

Her eyes snapped open.

I screamed.

She was downright terrifying. Amy was no longer the cute, energetic friend who had a crush on Sonic. She was now a living nightmare, her face twisted and distorted to look like the other ghosts. Her eyes penetrated deep into mine with their wrath. And the teeth… they looked like something out of an R-rated horror movie.

" _Your soul will make an ideal sacrifice for King Boom Boo,_ " she hissed in an unearthly (or un-Mobian) tone.

And then she produced her hammer.

"Chris, _run_!" Sonic shrieked as Amy started to bear down on me. She was only ten feet away, but she was bridging the gap fairly quickly. I had to force myself to move my legs, as I was rooted to the spot in fear.

I couldn't remember the last time my fight-or-flight was this bad. I was literally running for my life… from my own friend.

"Amy, stop!" I shouted, hoping that would do something.

"It's not gonna work!" Sonic exclaimed, before pointing to the window. "The hourglass! Flip the hourglass!"

It felt so far away, mostly because I ran away from the window when I was forced to run. But I had turned back toward it. I didn't know if I could make it in there, much less in one piece.

I had to jump to avoid a very close hammer swing, I could almost feel the wind from her weapon inches from my back. My heart was pounding in overdrive. I didn't want to have to get a permanent spine dislocation coming out of this. I was too young to die.

" _She's faster than me!_ " I shouted frantically. Sonic looked equally terrified for my safety.

"If you can't flip it, just knock it down!" Sonic urged. At this point, I had to. Amy was literally on top of me.

The talisman was finally within feet of me. I reached out to touch it…

…and then she struck.

* * *

 **Blair Castle - Cellar – Sun March 13; 10:52 PM – Sonic's POV**

I squeezed my eyes shut the moment before the impact. I couldn't bring myself to see the inevitable. Right as the inevitable happened, I became aware of not one, but two objects landing on the stone floor.

The first I knew in my gut had to be Chris. Amy had actually knocked him out. There was no way he should have been conscious through that hit. I had seen the way Amy used that hammer; it left no Badnik survivors.

But Chris was not a Badnik.

The second object surprised me. It shouldn't have, but I figured Chris may have succeeded in removing the talisman from its resting place. If so, then it would no longer have control over the ghosts' realm. I looked up to see if I was right.

While Chris did indeed knock down the stone hourglass, my eyes were instead drawn to the unconscious Chris. Since I was still suspended about fifteen feet in the air thanks to the void, I couldn't tell where he was hurt, but I knew he would be–

No. I didn't want to think about it.

I could feel anger building within me. I wanted to avenge Chris for what the ghosts did to him. They used Amy against him, to prevent him from potentially stopping them. I couldn't be mad at Amy for that; it wasn't her fault.

The more I looked at the injured boy, the more I felt vengeance and retaliation building up. In fact, my fur began to darken ever so slightly. I had to suppress the negative Chaos energy that was beginning to spike within me.

I had given in to my negativity and become fully dark only once in my life, and that was during the war. In order to achieve such a state, I would have to be severely provoked with an event like a critical injury… or worse. And when I became Dark Sonic, I remembered that, while short-lasting, I gained powers that surpassed even my Super form. I became destructive and violent beyond my nature. And believe me, I hated every second of it.

I could feel a fraction of such awesome and terrifying power welling up in me already. And while I still had some sanity and control of my emotions, I figured I could put them to good use.

I had tried to spin-dash through the realm wall earlier, to no avail. But it was now weakened from the talisman being removed, and the emotional bolster I got was all I needed to shatter the barrier between me and Chris.

Although, I had to make the talisman my first priority. I had to prevent the ghosts from possibly coming back. Fortunately, the possessed Amy was no problem; she had backed away from me, clearly not expecting me to break out of my ghostly cell.

However, she recovered from her shock, and pulled out her hammer once more. She started toward me, but I was faster. I scooped up the talisman from next to Chris, and restored it in the window, double-checking to make sure the sun side was up.

The supernatural portal slowly faded away, and those still imprisoned inside were lowered gently to the ground. That was one problem out of the way. However, Amy was still possessed; however, she was rooted to the spot due to the blinding yellow light the hourglass emitted.

Next, I did something that I did the last time I dealt with Boos possessing people. I ran behind Amy, and karate-chopped the back of her neck to literally knock the ghost out of her. From experience, anyone who was priorly possessed would not feel the chop afterward.

The ghost flew out of her mouth and backed away from the light before fading away. Amy slumped over, and I caught her before she fell.

Her jade eyes slowly fluttered open, and already I felt my emerald eyes drawn to them–

 _No! Snap out of it!_ I reprimanded myself.

"Sonic…" she said quietly as I set her back on her feet. "You… You're free…"

I couldn't get a word in edgewise, because in the very next moment, she gasped at the sight of Chris' unconscious body.

"S-Sonic! What happened to him?!" she exclaimed, now starting to freak out. "Did… _Did I do that?!_ "

In a flash, I was at Amy's side, comforting her before her emotions could carry her overboard.

"Hey, hey. It's not your fault, Ames," I soothed. "You didn't do it. It wasn't _really_ you."

But Amy couldn't take her eyes off of Chris. She was now whimpering uncontrollably, about to break down. I was about to check on Chris, but my attention was divided by several ghosts who were brave enough to rematerialize in the now brightly-lit room.

"We got company, Amy," I told her as calmly as I could. I smirked. "Go give 'em what for. You know you wanna."

Just like that, her emotions shifted from mourning to fury as she whipped out her hammer and turned to the ghosts. She leaped toward them without hesitation, her weapon being put to good use. I sure was grateful she was on my side… well, most of the time, anyway.

I figured that Chris would be okay by himself for a few moments, so I too leaped into the fray, using my fists and feet to take them out. It was amazing how they dropped like flies upon contact. In fact, it was almost like they weren't even putting up a fight.

However, that changed when the remaining four Boos backed away from us and regrouped. We watched as they merged together to form one large ghost, one I recognized as a Boom Boo.

"You don't intimidate me," Amy said. She brandished her hammer tighter, her voice rising a few tones. "I'll never forgive you for what you made me do to my friend!"

She went absolutely berserk on that ghost. I just stood there and let her do her thing. There was no holding back for her.

With one final crushing hit, the Boom Boo was sent flying backward into the wall behind it. Even through her tears, Amy managed to spit out "Pathetic."

The ghosts were gone now, but that still left King Boom Boo. He was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he was being a coward, hiding from the light the talisman was making.

"C'mon, let's go check on Chris," I gently told my distraught friend.

I slowly walked back in the direction of the unconscious human. Understandably, Amy hung back, not wanting to see the carnage she had inadvertently caused. I bent down next to Chris and inspected him for any visible injuries. I wasn't looking at the moment of the impact, so I had no clue where he was hit.

I started with his head. It looked okay so far, until I saw the front. I winced.

"He's got a nasty head wound for sure," I mused. I assumed he might have hit his head on the wall when falling from the impact. "Not too much blood, so that's a plus."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Amy slowly approaching, having worked up the courage to do so. I continued checking Chris. I gently turned him onto his back, making sure his torso was okay. It was, but I noticed his legs didn't look right. I carefully felt his legs. Sure enough… That had to have been the impact zone.

"Is it bad…?" squeaked Amy.

"Well… uh…" I didn't know how to say it without making her more upset. "I think both his legs are fractured, his left one more so." I glanced down. "He's gonna need immediate hospital treatment."

Amy gingerly approached Chris, her tears flowing freely now, and collapsed next to him. "Chris… I'm so, so sorry…!" she sobbed.

I backed away to give her some space to let it out, and instead turned to the rest of the group who were collectively regaining consciousness. One face after another looked up, multiple pairs of eyes darting around the room in confusion.

"Wh… What happened…?" Lindsey groaned.

"Wh-where are we?" wondered Cream.

"H-Hey… good to see you're all awake," I said, trying to maintain my composure after what went down earlier. "I know you guys have questions, but for now, I just saved you from a bunch of ghosts that were haunting the castle we're staying at."

I was surprised at the blank faces I got in return.

"G-Ghosts?" Tails questioned, sounding a little nervous. I cocked a brow.

"You don't remember," I mused in surprise. I had forgotten that the ghosts were capable of wiping their victims' memories of their capture.

"Why is Amy crying…?" Cream wondered, her large floppy ears perking up. She sat up, and suddenly her eyes widened. "What happened to Mr. Chris?!"

This immediately got everyone's attention. Ella, Lindsey, Tails, Cream and Cheese all got up and made their way over to Chris, gasps arising. I felt another twinge of darkness within me, the urge to avenge him kindling brightly. I had to hold it down. The others didn't need to know.

"My baby…" Lindsey whispered.

Since Amy was an emotional wreck, I decided to fill everyone in on what happened. As fast as possible, I explained the possession, the talisman, and the incident.

"You guys gotta get Chris out of here," I told them. "The king of the ghosts is still out there somewhere, and I still have to deal with him.

I clenched my fists. The darkness was still trying to escape me.

Ella and Tails reached Chris first and started to lift him up by the arms. They got additional help from Lindsey and Cream, who lifted his legs.

"His legs are broken," I cautioned with a wave of my hand, "so just… easy on him, okay?" It pained me to say that, it really did. "I gotta stay here and cover you guys." I gave an uneasy chuckle. "Take it slow, but not too slow. He's precious cargo."

Amy stuck close to Chris, her gaze never leaving him, while Lindsey was basically in a state of shock. As Tails, Ella, and Lindsey were already carrying the brunt of Chris, this allowed Cream to let go of him. She and Cheese made their way over to Amy to comfort her as everyone left the room.

Now that everyone was out, I turned to the center of the room, all cockiness now departed from me. Until now I had been struggling to suppress my level of negative Chaos energy, so as not to scare my friends. Of those formerly present in the room, only Tails and Amy had witnessed me at my worst.

Now I allowed my dark energy to surface, and my fur deepened to a navy blue. It wasn't enough to become fully dark, but just enough to pose a serious threat to anyone in my path, be it physical or, in this case, supernatural.

"I know you're here," I spoke, my voice lower and more menacing than I ever wanted it to be. "Come out where I can see you."

There was no reply. Perhaps it was to be expected.

"Look, I'm not playing around," I continued. "If you're going to come out, do it now."

Still nothing.

"I don't know if you're wise or cowardly to hide from me right now." I gave a dark chuckle. "I'd say cowardly. You showed your face to Knuckles back in your heyday, and yet you don't want to challenge me?"

I was practically listening to my own voice reverberating around the chamber at this point. I decided enough was enough.

"Have it your way. I'm going to tend to a friend of mine. You know, the one who was hurt by your hand."

And with that, I swiped the talisman from its post, plunging the room into darkness once again, and dashed from the room. Once again I had to hold back the negativity, which was beginning to fade now that I had let off some steam.

It only took me two seconds to catch up with the others, who seemed to be having some difficulty carrying Chris up the stairs, what with the stairwell being pretty narrow.

"You might wanna step it up a bit," I warned. "The ghosts will probably be back any time now."

Crunching stones from behind us.

Speak of Devil Doom.

Deep within the cellar behind us, the sound of stones moving against each other filled our ears – it was quite creepy and unsettling. Time was of the essence.

"Here, Cream, take this," I told the rabbit before offering her the talisman. "Careful; it's mondo heavy."

Cream accepted the talisman, but its weight caused it to sag in her arms, so Cheese swooped over and helped to lift it. Next, I turned to Chris.

"Okay, I'll take Chris now. Just hand him over very carefully, okay?"

I put my arms under Chris and gently eased him out of Ella's and Tails' grasp. There wasn't much room for Lindsey to help, unfortunately.

"Be careful with my bambino," Ella cautioned.

"Always," I said, before rushing him to the surface and setting him down on the grass. Then I ran back to the others, who were now scrambling up the stairs as fast as they could go. Even though I could see King Boom Boo just a few yards behind them, I knew everyone would escape in time.

Tails and Cream were the first to emerge into daylight. They had to squint at how glary it was after being trapped in the dark for so long.

Next came Amy, whose mourning had been overcome by the adrenalin from escaping the king of the ghosts. I ran over and, taking their hands, helped Lindsey and Ella out of the prison. I then blew a raspberry at the giant ghost who was starting to slow down as he approached the daylight.

"Guess you were too slow, huh, big guy?" I taunted. "Well, better luck next time!"

Pulling out her hammer, Amy bashed the side of the pedestal into place, sealing the hole in the ground completely, and just in the nick of time. I noticed a second dent in it, probably from where she and Chris had entered to rescue us. I took the talisman back from Cream and set it down on the pedestal. I would have made a "sunny-side up" joke as I set it down with the correct side facing upward, but the moment was too tense.

Now that the nightmare had finally come to an end, everyone's attention returned to Chris, who still remained motionless on the grass. Cream and Lindsey started to shed a few tears, and Amy was trying her hardest to not completely lose it. I bent down next to him, slowly stroking his hair and face.

"Chris…" I whispered. "I'm so sorry this had to happen to you…" I rested my hand on his shoulder. "You'll pull through. I know you will. You're strong and always will be."

Tails bent down next to me, still visibly shaken and tears in his eyes as well. He placed two fingers on a certain spot on Chris' neck.

"He has a strong pulse," he stated, voice strained. "He's gonna be okay."

I became aware of voices in the distance. Looking up, I saw that Lindsey was no longer with us. She was running across the castle yard to tell the film crew and police what had happened.

"I can only hope that the journalists don't report this story," Ella spoke. "That would be the last thing we need."

"Where are you going…?" Tails asked me as I stood up.

"Gotta arrange a hospital trip for Chris," I told him. "I could carry him there, but it's probably not as safe, not to mention I couldn't tell you where any hospitals are around here."

And with that, I took off, prepared to get Chris the help he needed.

* * *

 **A hospital – ?; ?:? PM – Chris' POV**

The first thing I heard when I slowly opened my eyes was a soft beeping. Even though my vision was blurred and my memory was shot, I could tell that I was no longer where I was when I lost consciousness.

Besides the fact that I was in a hospital, so I deducted, I really didn't feel like myself. I was very groggy, even slightly sick. Perhaps the doctors had given me anesthesia to ease the pain I must have received, for I couldn't really feel much of anything. My mind was drawing blanks as to what happened that would have gotten me sent here.

I reached up to rub my eyes – they felt like they had been closed a really long time. That was when I noticed something attached to me – two somethings. One I recognized as a heart rate monitor. The other took a little time for me to think of what it was, but concluded that it was an IV needle.

I was definitely in the hospital.

I didn't need to reach up to know that my head was wrapped in something. I must have hit my head when passing out. Now that I was ware of it, I realized that I had a headache.

My gaze shifted to the foot of the bed, and I saw that buth my legs were elevated above the level of my heart. It felt strange, not lying down completely flat, but if they had to raise my legs, that must have meant something happened to them.

Over the next five minutes, while a nurse checked my vital signs and progress of the healing, I racked my brain trying to think of how I wound up here. I couldn't remember much pain at all, which, in hindsight, was a good thing. Or was it?

The last thing I remembered seeing was a large, hourglass-shaped stone about the size of an encyclopedia.

And then it all came back to me.

Amy and I had gone down into the castle's cellar to find and rescue Sonic and the others, who had all been captured by ghosts. One of the ghosts had imitated Sonic's voice and caused her to set the talisman down with the moon side up. That must have given the ghosts the extra power they needed to break free of the void. Then one of them had possessed Amy, and she had knocked me out before I could reach the talisman to set everything right.

I had to be honest with myself; I didn't know if I could see Amy in the same way after that. While it was her that did it… it _wasn't_ her at the same time. I couldn't have been her fault that I was in the hospital.

I looked around the room, now feeling very alone. My gaze shifted to the window on the other end of the room, and to the setting sun. If it was already evening, that meant I had been out cold for quite a while.

A chill ran through me as I had another thought. Was everyone okay? Did they make it out at all? I had to know the outcome of this adventure… that is, if I could even call it an adventure.

Soon the nurse announced that I had visitors, which I graciously accepted; granted, I had been getting quite lonely in the otherwise empty horpital room.

Sonic and Amy were the first to enter the room, followed closely by Cream and Cheese, Tails, Mom, and Ella. Ella was holding a bouquet of roses and other flowers, and, peering closely, it looked like Cream and Cheese had drawn a get-well-soon card.

I smiled weakly at them as they came closer. "Hi," I said.

Amy, who was already tear-stained, and had probably been crying for quite a while, broke away from the others and rushed over to me. She grasped onto my right arm with both hands gently yet firmly.

"Ch-Chris!" she wept. "I'm so sorry! I… I didn't do it, and… and…"

"Hey, hey," Sonic gently said, stepping in to guide Amy away from me before I could get more uncomfortable than I already was. "Easy on him, okay?"

Sniffling, Amy responded with a shaky nod.

"It's not your fault, Amy," I told her.

"I know…" she spoke. "But…"

Wordlessly, Sonic gently stroked her quills, which was something I rarely saw him doing.

"Here, Mr. Chris, me and Cheese made this for you," I head Cream's voice from nearby. I turned to see them present the card to me.

It was a picture of me in the X-Tornado drawn in crayon, in a style not unlike young human children, and had the words 'get well soon Mr. Chris' written at the top in Cream's handwriting. She had accidentally spelled my name 'Cris', but I let it slide, as she was still young. Everyone else had written their names at the bottom right, to show that they were all rooting for a speedy recovery.

I couldn't help but smile at how thoughtful Cream and Cheese were.

"Thank you, Cream," I said as I carefully set the card down. I glanced up at the Chao that was floating above me. "You too, Cheese."

"You're welcome, Mr. Chris," Cream responded, beaming. She clasked her hands behind her back. "I'm sorry I couldn't add any glitter. They didn't have any."

"It's okay," I said as Cheese came to rest on my shoulder, snuggling against my cheek. "I still really like it." I looked around for a clock. The whole time I had been here, I hadn't noticed a clock anywhere. "What time is it?"

Mom checked her watch. "6:30," she said. As she made her way toward the edge of my bed, she too sounded like she had been crying for a while. "We came over as soon as we could to see you. "She too bent down to hug me. "My poor baby…" she whispered.

I wasn't sure I cared for all the attention I was getting, even though everyone here were friends and family. This was a bit ironic, considering I was from a rish family. It wasn't even my birthday.

Tails approached me from the other side of the bed. "How are you feeling?" he quietly asked.

I took a moment to check myself. For some reason I didn't feel as much pain as I probably should have felt, but there was still some pain.

"I can still feel some pain in my legs," I slowly said. "Also I have a massive headache."

A scary thought crossed my mind.

"Am… Am I gonna need a wheelchair?"

"Um… well…" Tails looked unsure at how to answer that, which made me even more concerned. "The doctors said you're going to be here for another day, then you're getting a wheelchair for about three weeks."

Oh no… Wheelchairs were going to be a new experience for me. That meant that I couldn't walk for three weeks. Some of my mobility would have to be assisted. I was too young for this.

"Three weeks…" I croaked.

"Hey, don't sweat it, Chris," came Sonic's voice from my right. "It's only three weeks. Then you'll be back to your normal self. Until then, we're gonna help you be as comfortable as we can."

"Oh… Okay, thanks," I said. I was never going to get used to being in a wheelchair. Then again, if it was only going to be three weeks, then I wouldn't have to.

These thought were pushed to the back of my mind as another question surfaced.

"But… how did you all escape?"

Sonic leaved against the railing of my bed. "It was all you, and you didn't even know it."

I blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I was kinda not looking when it happened, but the way I see it, when you got knocked out, your hand hit the stone off the windowsill. That weakened the void we were in, and I busted my way out and put the stone back with the sun side facing up."

"And the ghosts?"

"Oh, they didn't stand a ghost of a chance!" Sonic laughed. "The way they were cowering in the light, they couldn't even do anything to us."

That was good news. That meant everyone was able to escape the basement safely. Sonic had saved the day once again.

"So I take it you figured out what the riddle meant, right?" Sonic asked me after another moment.

"I… I don't think we ever did… I mean, did we even need to in the end?" I looked up. "But I'm guessing it had something to do with the ghosts?"

"It did," Amy interjected before Sonic could speak. She was already feeling better emotionally. "While we were in the waiting room, Sonic said it meant that the ghosts would appear when the stone hourglass displayed the moon, and disappear when it displayed the sun."

Oh yeah… It made a lot of sense now. Thinking back, "olden souls" meant ghosts. And here I thought it had meant dead people the whole time.

"But yeah, Chris, you made a great point just now," Sonic spoke with an easygoing smile. "I don't think you really needed the riddle to free us. You know that?"

I started to swell with pride – the good kind of pride. If it weren't for me being right near the talisman when I was knocked out, then I might have possibly bled out and died, and everyone would be trapped in the ghosts' realm forever. It was funny how things always eventually worked out in the end, like Sonic had always said.

But I was at the right spot at the right time, and as a result, the day was saved.

"Then I'm… I'm a hero…" I breathed in awe.

Sonic flashed a wink and thumbs-up in my direction. "Even if you didn't know it, you're definitely a hero in my book." He held Amy's hand and gave her an encouraging smile. "You too, Ames. You both totally kicked it today. Never doubt yourselves, and I'll bet you'll be way past amazed at how much you get done, yeah?"

I weakly smiled, holding back a yawn as more fatigue washed over me. We had all survived another adventure, all making it out in one piece – well, _mostly_ , in my case.

It seemed all was forgiven with Amy. It may have been an accident, what she had done to me; but in the end it wasn't really her that was doing it. It wasn't her fault. Her hammer still startled me, even if I was never on the receiving end of it, but now I had a healthy respect for it. I only hoped that I wouldn't be wary around her as a result of today.

I cuddled Cheese closer, glancing from face to face in the room. It was a relieving feeling, knowing that I was literally surrounded by loving, caring friends. They had gotten me through many daring, often scary adventures, and I knew they weren't about to let me down any time soon. Though there was still some pain on the outside, I felt great on the inside, knowing that I finally got to return the favor.

* * *

 **A/N:** And that concludes Sonic's Scream Test! I didn't realize until writing the draft for this chapter that Tim Shaw, the name of the director in this story, also happens to coincidentally be the nickname of a prominent Doctor Who villain from Series 11.

As I was writing the extended take, which I'm glad I fleshed out, I realized how similar it is to the last scene in episode 26 if you swap out Lindsey for Chris and the other actor for Sonic.

I wanted to add some kind of prelude to everyone getting captured by the ghosts, and thought it would be interesting if I added the scene in the bathroom, which I did. Also, I felt like there should have been an extra scene after everyone's capture. So that's how the conversation in the bedroom started.

Let me know how I did with the character relationships between Chris and Amy. It felt really static and bland in the original, so I wanted to really flesh it out.

I remember racking my brain for a few hours coming up with a riddle that didn't sound plain. It was totally worth it, because "Appears under the moon; disappears under the sun" didn't cut it. That's also where I got the title of this chapter from.

I was originally going to have Amy become brainwashed into placing the moon side of the talisman on the windowsill, but decided against it, because the other dialogue I had for Amy would have contradicted it.

I included the injury scene because there was no way Chris would have been able to outrun Amy when she was possessed, not to mention she shouldn't have simply stopped in the original. Also, this ups this episode from filler to loose canon, so that the next episode can be made even better.

The hospital scene is new. I had it planned even before SuperTailsFan's hospital stories, but they helped with some knowledge I seemed to be missing.

I'm going to take another break after episode 26's rewrite, not only to expand the backlog, but to give the earlier chapters a much-needed facelift. In fact, I cringe a little looking at them. I'm currently revising chapter 6, and my goal is to revise through chapter 13. Of course, I will give updates on my profile page, just like the last time.

Next time: Sonic and the gang take a glacier cruise to relax and lift everyone's moods, but it seems a certain mastermind is returning to crash the party! Don't miss it!


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